Obituary of Arch M. Hood

Hood, Archibald "Arch" McGregor, age 82 of Mt. Juliet, TN, passed away Thursday, July 23rd, 2015. Funeral services will be held on Monday, July 27th at 11:00 a.m. in the chapel of Sellars Funeral Home at Mt. Juliet with Bro. Ron Webb officiating. A private interment will follow in the Middle TN Veterans Cemetery with Bill Hood, Bob Hood, Bill Rotranel, Justin Hood, Jordin Hood, and Peyton Hood serving as active pallbearers, and Lt. Commander Mike Garvey serving as an honorary pallbearer. Visitation with the family will be from 10:30 a.m. until time of service. Arch was born on May 12, 1933 to Scottish parents, the late John W. & Mary C. Hood, in Glenridge, NJ. At the age of 4, he and his family moved to Ridgewood, NJ. He graduated from Ridgewood High School in 1951 and Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA with a Metallurgical Engineering degree in 1956. During college in 1954, Arch married his high school sweetheart, Eleanor Osmers. Married life was never dull, as they moved over 15 times during his Navel and Civilian careers. Following graduation from Lehigh, he joined the Aluminum Company of America as a Production & Research Metallurgist. Subsequently, he was contacted by the Navy with the offer of a commission & flight training. Shortly thereafter, he was on his way to NAS Pensacola, FL for Basic Flight Training. Advanced Flight Training followed in Corpus Christi, TX, where Arch received his wings as a Naval Aviator in 1958. His top standing in his graduating class earned him a choice of Duty Station and he chose Navy MATS, NAS, Norflok, VA. Arch served for 5000 hours in MATS as an Aircraft Commander & Instructor Aircraft Commander in all Theaters of the World. Some of the conflicts that he was involved in included Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam & the Cuban Missile Crisis. A loss of hearing in the one ear brought a premature end to his flying career. Arch then returned to the aluminum industry with several major corporations rising through the ranks to a Group President in the Transportation Industry. While Arch enjoyed 2 great careers, clearly, his Naval Aviation Career & service to our country stood out as the apex of his life achievements. At the height of his career, Arch was the victim of a rear end auto accident which resulted in progressive hearing loss in his only hearing ear & a second premature retirement. He and his wife retired to Punta Gorda, FL in 1999, with the loss of hearing detracting from their quality of life. Arch enjoyed fishing, and was an avid boater and water skier. He relished his historic cars, and was a member of the Elks Lodge and a lifetime member of SAE & ASM. Arch is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Eleanor Hood; 3 children, all Big 10 graduates, Linda (Bill) Rotramel of Port Clinton, Ohio and Punta Gorda, FL, Bill (Kim) Hood of Mt. Juliet, TN, Bob (Vicki) Hood of Holly Springs, NC; 7 beloved grandchildren, JR Hood, Jordin Hood, Kristin Hood, Julie Garvey, Cindy Rotramel, Peyton Hood, and Jenna Hood. Along with his parents, he is preceded in death by his sister, Kathleen Johnson; and infant brother. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hearing Health Foundation, 363 7th Ave, 10th Floor, NY, NY 10001-3904, or to a charity of your choice. Arrangements by Sellars Funeral Home at Mt. Juliet, 2229 N. Mt. Juliet Road, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122, 615-758-5459, obituary line 615-758-8818, www.sellarsfuneralservices.com