Bill Hood, a lawyer, lobbyist and philanthropist, dead at 78

As a boy, Monthly bill Hood buried himself in books. 

They were his window to the earth outside the house his small city in central Illinois.

His library card experienced from exhaustion. At bedtime, he grabbed a flashlight and read below the handles. 

Insatiable curiosity led him to turn out to be a photographer, an investigative reporter, an attorney, a lobbyist, an airline executive, an arts patron and a Francophile.

Bill Hood, 78, died Xmas Day of cancer.

Mr. Hood labored as a photographer at nearby newspapers to help put himself by way of Illinois University. In 1968 he labored as the photographer on Illinois Lawyer Basic William Clark’s campaign to unseat former U.S. Sen. Everett Dirksen, but, most memorably, observed himself photographing scenes of violence that played out all through the Democratic National Conference. 

The next yr he graduated from Northwestern University’s Regulation School and took a position as an investigative reporter with the Superior Government Affiliation.

Mr. Hood went on to do the job as a lobbyist for Continental Financial institution, exactly where he was instrumental in shepherding the passage of laws that lifted constraints that prevented banking companies from opening many branches.

Mr. Hood later labored at American Airways as handling director of authorities affairs, where by he represented the corporation on several civic and charitable boards.

A person of his greatest passions was supporting the Museum of Present-day Artwork.

“When he was on the MCA board, American Airlines became a journey lover, or sponsor, and what they gave them was totally free vacation privileges for the curators, letting them to visit artists all about the entire world,” explained his wife, Vicki Hood. “Travel was a enormous expense, and then to bring art back to Chicago, Bill also organized for that transportation, much too.”

Mr. Hood’s son, Elliott Hood, an attorney who life in Colorado, has fond memories of tagging alongside with his dad to function events and acknowledging afterwards in existence that his father knew most of the city’s and state’s key players.

“Mayor Richard M. Daley, Mayor Jane Byrne, U.S. Sen Dick Durbin to title a handful of. I went to a golfing occasion the moment with my father and fulfilled Michael Jordan. It was a awesome thing as a kid,” he explained.

When Mr. Hood retired about 10 years in the past he focused on his appreciate of French cuisine and society.

“Paris was obviously his most loved metropolis and as a retirement existing I rented him an condominium for a few months in Paris,” she mentioned. “He tried genuinely really hard, never ever uncovered the language, but he understood all the fantastic words. And he was a excellent chef. He loved so substantially likely to the grocery and purchasing nearby make and coming dwelling to prepare dinner.”

The pair met at the BGA when she was an intern.

“He explained it was an intern tale that turned out perfectly,” explained Vicki Hood, an lawyer who retired after a career with Kirkland and Ellis. “We traveled the globe and it was usually the two of us with each other. We did anything alongside one another. It was so fantastic.”

Previous Solar-Situations leisure columnist Invoice Zwecker counted Mr. Hood as a shut buddy.

“I know the phrase ‘Renaissance man’ is most likely overused, but his pursuits ended up common,” Zwecker reported. “You could speak to him about anything and he had know-how about it, an encyclopedic degree of knowledge. He often experienced a stack of publications he was functioning his way via. He actually did have a great daily life.”

Funeral products and services are private. 

In addition to his spouse and son Elliott, Mr. Hood is survived by his son Tyler, four grandchildren and his sister, Martha Smith.