Richard Wayne Hood

Born on July 18, 1948, in Merkel, Texas, Wayne was a son of the late Dorris Jean Smith and the late Richard Clayton Hood.

Wayne was a hardworking man of faith who proudly served his country in the United States Navy, completing three tours of duty during the Vietnam War. Coming from a difficult upbringing, Wayne learned early the value of hard work and perseverance. As a young man, he worked as a grocery store stocker, walking back and forth to work until he saved enough money to buy his first beat-up car. Determined to help support his family, he even lied about his age so he could enlist in the military at just 17 years old.

In 1972, Wayne married Linda Chambers, and together they were married for 13 years. During that time, he helped support and raise their son, Stacy Walker. In 1973, Wayne and Linda welcomed a son, Richard, who sadly passed away shortly after birth. In 1975, they welcomed a daughter, Christie.

Wayne later attended HVAC school and became a licensed HVAC technician, a career that reflected his strong work ethic and quiet dedication. He was a quiet man who mostly kept to himself, but he found simple joy in sitting on the porch and listening to neighborhood gossip.

In his later years, Wayne’s health declined, and he moved into a nursing facility, where—true to form—he still enjoyed keeping up with the gossip. One of his favorite routines was his weekly trip with his daughter to the VFW in Ennis, where he would relax, listen to music, have a beer or two (or three), and watch people play pool. He often said it was his escape from the nursing home.

Wayne is and will always be dearly missed.

Wayne is survived by his daughter Linda Christine “Christie” Laird and her husband, William, and her sons Matthew Clark and his wife, Jessica, Brandon Laird and his wife, Kenzie, and Cooper Laird; Wayne’s son, Stacy Walker, and his wife, Kim, and their son, Chandler Walker; his great-grandson, Matthew Cason Clark Jr.; and Linda Chambers; his sister Marie F. Bannister; his nephews Jerry Wayne Bannister, Darrin Pinder, Mark Hood, Brendon Hood, and Chris Hood; his nieces Elizabeth Kersey and Mary Chew; and many other great nieces and nephews.

Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his son Richard Lloyd Hood; brother William Terry Hood; and sisters Beverly Ann Pinder and Barbara Gail Pinder.

A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Eubank Cedar Creek Funeral Home in Mabank, Texas. The family will receive friends for one hour prior to the service. Interment will follow the service at Eubank Cedar Creek Memorial Park in Mabank, Texas.