Barbara Ann Parsons Hood passed away Wednesday. After a long, difficult illness, our beautiful, beloved mother is finally pain free and at peace.

Barbara Ann Parsons Hood was born at home in Beaver, to Donald and Helen Hartzel Parsons on Nov. 7, 1928.

She graduated from Beaver High School in 1946, attended Drexel University in Philadelphia, Geneva College in Beaver Falls and graduated from Grace Martin Business School in Pittsburgh.

After graduation, Barbara worked as a secretary for the Westinghouse Corp., in Beaver. As were the times, she stopped working at Westinghouse months before the birth of her first child in 1954.

On June, 21, 1952, Barbara married Frank I. Hood Jr., of Rochester, Beaver County. They lived in Beaver Falls before settling in Rochester Township. Barbara and Frank had three daughters: Amy Jean Hood Rich, Nancy Jane Hood Boland and Laura Ann Hood Mann.

Tragedy was also a part of Barbara's life as the family mourned the death of Frank on April 22, 1971, followed by the death of their daughter, Amy Jean Hood Rich on April 22, 1981. She lovingly cared for both Frank and Amy at home until their deaths. Barbara was also preceded in death by her only sibling, Donald H. Parsons, in 1993.

Barbara had the innate ability to move forward despite all pain and raised her surviving daughters effortlessly and without complaint or self pity. She went on to become the Rochester Township tax collector for 25 years, retiring in 1999.

Barbara was baptized, confirmed, married and a member of the Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rochester. She was also a former member of the Beaver Junior Women's Club, ROHO at Rochester General Hospital and spent numerous hours volunteering while her children were enrolled in the Rochester School District. She spent the past two years as a resident of Passavant Retirement Community in Zelienople.

She is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Nancy J. and Glenn H. Boland of Sewickley, and Laura A. and James A. Mann of Economy; two grandchildren, Amy E. and Christopher G. Boland, as well as six granddogs, Abbey, Audrey, Daisy, Hunter, Logan and Toby; a sister-in-law, Joanne Hood Rote; numerous nieces and nephews; and a cousin, William A.H. Murphy.

She was preceded in death by six sisters-in-law, Miriam Hood Aultman, Milicent Hood Weichel, Jean Hood Cole, Betty Hood Beeson, Anna Margaret Hood Karcher and Patricia McBride Parsons. Also, she was preceded in death by her dearly loved pets, Hilda, Schnaupsie, Clancy and Candy.

The family is extremely grateful to the loving care she received from all the wonderful girls at Good Samaritan Hospice in Wexford during the last weeks of her illness. Also, many thanks to the nursing staff of Pavilion 3/Oncology Unit at UPMC Shadyside Hospital.

<B>HOOD — </B>Friends of Barbara Ann Parsons Hood, who died Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, at the <B>WILLIAM MURPHY FUNERAL HOME,</B> 349 Adams St., Rochester. A funeral service will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. in the Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 393 Adams St., Rochester. Officiating will be her pastor, the Rev. Gregory S. Clagg. Interment will follow at Beaver Cemetery, Beaver.In lieu of flowers, family suggests donations in Barbara's memory to Good Samaritan Hospice, Wexford.Their "gang" of John and Phyl, Betty Anne and Gene, Frank and now Barbara are gathered together at their ocean in Heaven forever more. The world will never be the same without Mommy, who loved and raised us well.