Winnie Essary Hood passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, to her heavenly home on Monday, November 17, 2025.
Winnie was born June 29th, 1931, in Holly Grove, AR to John Bernard Essary and Beatrice Johnson Essary. She was the only daughter of 3 children.
Winnie was a 1949 graduate of Fair Park High School in Shreveport, LA. Upon graduation she attended Ayer Business College in Shreveport. It was also in Shreveport where Winnie met the love of her life Robert Hood. They married in 1956 and began a love story that lasted 67 years until Robert’s death in 2024. Their marriage produced six children, four boys and two girls, which amazingly included two sets of twins and two single births.
Over the years Winnie’s career included jobs with Arkansas Fuel Oil, Caddo Heights Elementary School both in Shreveport and later First United Methodist Church and Elliott’s Jewelers in El Dorado, AR.
Winnie was a devout Christian, loving mother and doting grandmother and great grandmother lovingly known as “Nanny”. Over the last 50 years she has been an active and dedicated member of First United Methodist Church. Winnie loved her church and faithfully served her Lord and Savior all her life.
Winnie is preceded in death by her parents, Robert her husband of 67 years, her oldest brother Johnny, her four sons, Robert (Bob), John, David and Mark and her son in law Joe Carroll.
Winnie is survived by her two daughters Marion Carroll and Margaret Thorne (Jim), her brother George Essary (Pat), four grandchildren, Kendall Youngman (John), John Carroll, Jaclyn Pohlers (Chase), Suzanna Thorne and four great grandchildren, Logan, Madelyn, Brielle and Emery.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, November 21, 2025 at Young’s Chapel. Visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m. Cremation services are entrusted to Young’s Funeral Directors.
The Family asks that in lieu of flowers memorials be made to Arkansas Children’s Hospital or St Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
Condolences can be expressed online at www.youngsfuneralhome.com for the Hood family.
