Philip Frederic Hood, age 56, left this world on Wednesday, July 7, 2010 at St. John's, following a brave battle with an undetermined respiratory illness. Philip was born May 18, 1954 in St. Louis, Missouri to John and Juanita Hood. The family relocated to Springfield when Philip was five. In his lifetime, Philip played in a couple of local bands, owned and operated a musical instrument repair shop in downtown Springfield in the 1980's, called Philharmonics, earned an Associates degree in Computer Sciences, served as President of the Springfield Writer's Guild (2005-2006) and completed his own first novel. His pleasures included floating the Ozark's Rivers, fishing, writing, listening to Blues, Rock and Roll, and the poets of music (Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits), cooking, gardening, feeding birds and relaxing around his fire-pit surrounded by good friends. He also enjoyed wine tastings on his patio in the evening with his wife. Philip was looking forward to traveling the world with Leslie, and making a return trip to his spiritual home of New Orleans, Louisiana. Philip was preceded in death by his paternal and maternal grandparents, and his father John Paul Hood. His irreplaceable presence will be forever missed by his wife Leslie Hood; daughter Kaja Hood; mother Juanita Hood; brother Stephen Hood, all of Springfield; sister Paula Gleason; brother-in-law, Parkie Gleason, Niangua; brother, David Hood and sister-in-law Rebecca Hood, LaGrange, Illinois; and his beloved aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, loyal friends and cats. Visitation will be on Friday, July 9 , 2010 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Gorman-Scharpf Brentwood Chapel. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, July 10, 2010 at University Heights Baptist Church. Burial will follow at Maple Park Cemetery, Springfield.