Walter Stephen Hood

Walter Stephen Hood did not go gentle into that good night as the sun set on April 24, 2019. Walt was born on May 31, 1943, in Baltimore, Maryland to Walter Crinshaw Hood and Grace Langohr Hood. By his own account, he spent most of his childhood roaming the streets of Baltimore and Owings Mill in a gaggle of kids, riding bikes, and running off to Atlantic City. His family relocated to Orlando, FL in 1956 when his father’s employer, The Glenn L. Martin Company, joined the space race. There he spent his adolescence working on cars with friends Danny Craven and Vince Perry. He graduated from Maynard Evan High in 1961 before serving in the U.S. Army. In 1968, he graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in Industrial Management.

As a young man, Walt worked various positions, as a draftsman, in banking, and in real estate before becoming a coveted cost estimator and analyst in federal contracting. He worked over 37 years overseeing contracts with the DOE, the DoD, and NASA. Walt was working as a Principal Analyst for MILSATCOM in El Segundo, CA when his health forced him to retire in 2011. He was a certified Cost Estimator/Analyst and a teaching member of the Society of Cost Estimating and Analysis.

Walter was a loving husband, devoted father, and grandfather. After a couple of broken hearts, he met Gayle “Dee” Boyd in 1974. In 1977, they relocated to New Orleans to work at Martin Marietta Manned Space Systems to oversee the construction of the space shuttles’ external fuel tanks. In 1981, the two chose to settle in the quiet beach community of Waveland, MS. The couple was blessed with their first child Holly Anna in 1984, followed by Mary Anne in 1987. The family moved to St. Pete Beach, Florida in 1992. In 1996, Walt and his family were sent to Richland, WA to assist with the Hanford cleanup efforts. Walt had a few other small stints in Cocoa Beach, Fl and Oak Ridge, TN. After retiring in 2011, Walt and Gayle relocated to Bellingham, WA to be closer to their daughters. With the help of his family, Walt survived lung cancer, CKD, and a failing heart to see his granddaughter, Rosalie, turn one.

Walt shared his love of cars, miniatures, film, and history with his daughters. He impressed on them to be independent and curious critical thinkers, but more importantly, to move through life with empathy and love. He loved going for drives, spending time at the beach, and visiting Disney with his family.

He is survived by his wife Gayle Boyd Hood, daughters Holly Anna Vincent and Mary Anne Hood, son-in-law Tyler Vincent, granddaughter Rosalie Rae Vincent, sister Phyllis Beck, cousins June and John Pringle, his cats, Chocolate and Cyd, and granddog, Nala, who brought him great comfort during his long illness, and his close friends Joseph Annunziato, William Greenway and Danny Craven. He is also survived in the hearts of extended family and hundreds of friends and colleagues scattered around the country. He is preceded in death by his parents, aunt Anna Stipek Langohr, uncle Charles Henry Langohr, and cousin Shirley Anne Langohr Delosier.

The Hood family would like to express sincere gratitude and love for Walt’s team of doctors and nurses who rallied and fought alongside him: Dr. Mary . Lotfi, Dr. Mark Daniels, Dr. Tyson J. Hawkins, Dr. Edwardo Goo, Dr. William H. Hall, Dr. William L. Lombari, Kelly Shepard, RRT, and the Nurses and Staff at Mount Baker Kidney Center, PeaceHealth St. Joseph's Medical Center, and University of Washington Medical Center. We know you feel this loss, too, but please know your work and dedication to life gave us precious time with our husband and father.