Virginia Ann Hood

Virginia Ann Johnson Hood (1938-2020) brought a brightness into any room with her ready smile, warm greeting, and sense of humor. If you paid attention, you could see a twinkle in her eye even in the midst of a serious conversation, as if to say you know that this is “important”, but you know I am just glad to be with YOU. Speaking as her husband, if you had a chance to kiss Ginger, as she wanted to be called, you knew that you had been kissed. Early on she said to me, “I love you because you kiss like I do.” In 60 years of marriage, we were blessed by many experiences as members of church choirs in the United Methodist Church, as leaders in different 4-H club projects in Knox County, Tennessee, as travelers to different European Countries with the choir, as hosts to exchange students from Finland, Italy and Sweden for a full year of high school in America. As parents of an exceptional son and daughter who graduated from college, married, had children of their own who graduated from college and are now successfully employed in a variety of specializations.

A physical educator with bachelor and masters degrees in P. E. and an earned doctorate in educational administration from studies completed at Michigan State University, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She was well prepared for the variety of jobs she held over her lifetime - teaching in middle school and college, working in programs to recruit students to college, as a survey interviewer, as a UT Federal Credit Union teller, as Director of the Girls Clubs of Knoxville, and her final job as Superintendent of Recreation for the City of Knoxville.

Outside of work, she loved to read romance novels and “tried her hand” at writing fragments with a group called the Smokey Mountain Romance Writers. She was active at various points in her life in organizations promoting the development of skills and service in women. Zeta Tau Alpha honored her with a ring for her work with several chapters of the fraternity. She was President of a local Pilot Club as well as an active participant in United Methodist Women circles. Her work over many years with the confirmation class in our local United Methodist Church was one of her favorite volunteer activities. She made many young friends in the 4-H Honor Club in Knox County.

Ginger was a skilled cook and loved to garden when space was available. She practiced many handicrafts and could even lay bricks. Her favorite sport growing up was tennis. She played the saxophone in the high school marching band in Michigan, where she was born and grew to adulthood. After marriage to Tom, she never left the South to reside elsewhere. Her children, Chris and Heather, still live in the South as do her grandchildren: Rebecca, Stephen; Christopher, Allison. Ginger’s husband, Tom, still lives in Knoxville. All of them are grieving the loss of her physical presence, but because of their faith they know she is in a better place. All of them still feel bathed in her generous self-giving spirit of love and forgiveness taught by Jesus in the New Testament writings and experienced as the gift of God, The Holy Spirit.

A Memorial Service is being planned and will be announced at a later date through the publications of Church Street United Methodist Church, Knoxville and elsewhere. If you wish to contribute to a memorial for Ginger, please consider the music ministries of Church Street United Methodist Church, the 4-H Leaders Organization of Knox County through the Tennessee 4-H Foundation, or one of Colleges of Education in the Universities that Ginger attended. The family wishes to thank all who have expressed concern and sympathy during this time of pandemic. Your prayers and thoughts are felt and appreciated. The family invites friends to share fond memories and sign Virginia's online guestbook at www.berryfuneralhome.com.