Marilyn Elizabeth (Broadwater) Hood Obituary
Marilyn Elizabeth Broadwater Hood, age 86, of Tampa, Florida passed away on Wednesday, August 7, 2024.
She was born on July 15, 1938, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to the late Thelma and William Ralph Broadwater, and the family moved to Atlanta when she was young.
Marilyn graduated from Brown High School in Atlanta, Georgia in the class of 1956. Following high school, she married Robert Franklin Hood, who she met at West End Baptist Church, on November 9, 1957. The couple settled in the Atlanta area and had three daughters in the next six years. In 1968 they relocated to Tampa, and there, they raised their daughters in their family home in Town & Country. As her daughters grew older, Marilyn decided it was time to go to college. She attended classes at HCC and USF while running a busy household of three children. She graduated with a degree in Childhood Education in 1978 at the age of 40 and began her teaching career as a kindergarten teacher in Hillsborough County. Hundreds of five- and six-year-olds in the Tampa area began their education in Marilyn’s classroom and gained a love of learning through her expert guidance as an early childhood educator. She taught at Kenly, Tinker, Dale Mabry, and Lake Magdalene Elementary schools. One of the principals she worked with once said, “When I want to enjoy watching children learn, I visit Marilyn Hood’s classroom.”
A gifted artist, Marilyn’s paintings and drawings graced the homes of family and friends with their realistic detail and bright colors. She was also a talented quilter, and after retiring from teaching, traveled to many places around the country to show her award-winning quilts. She had a beautiful singing voice and would often break out in song. Her teen daughters, who didn’t quite (yet) appreciate her voice, sometimes proclaimed, “Mom, stop singing so loudly!”
Over the years, Marilyn gave of her time and talents in a variety of volunteer venues, including serving as a Girl Scout leader, PTA president at Woodbridge and Morgan Woods Elementary schools, Secretary of the Town & Country Civic Association in Tampa, and Secretary of the Friends of the Town & Country Library.
Marilyn and Bob Hood were married for more than 67 years, and held hands daily, in spite of the fact that she often told him, “Bobby, read between the lines!” Only recently have they been apart from each other. When Bob died on June 30, 2024, Marilyn told everyone that he was still with her. Now they continue to be inseparable.
As one of Marilyn’s favorite songs says: “Que Sera Sera --- Whatever will be will be.”
Marilyn is survived by her daughters, Diane (Robert Gudger) Nettles, Trish (Ed) Harrison, Anne (Carl) Eller; grandchildren, Chuck (Sarah) Nettles, Tom (Crystal Joyce) Nettles, Eddie (Shalisa) Harrison, Nicki Harrison, Benjamin (Bidisha Dutta) Eller; Timothy Eller, Allie (Christian) Thompson; and great-grandchildren, Charlotte Nettles, Abigail Nettles, Nicklaus Nettles, and Harper Harrison, as well as many extended family members and friends.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Ralph Broadwater. She was also preceded in death by her son-in-law, Timothy Nettles.
A Celebration of Life for Marilyn and Robert Hood was held on August 10, 2024, at White Chapel in downtown Palm Harbor.
The family would like to say thank you to the following people for all their support and loving care: the staff and management at Accordia Woods Assisted Living in Palm Harbor, the caregivers with Retro LifeCare, the hospice care team at Suncoast Hospice, and Melissa Kuttas, Aging Life Care Professional with Care Resources of Tarpon Springs.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at http://www.alz.org.
