Mary Alice Wood Hooker

Mrs. Mary Alice Wood Hooker, 95 of Sanford, North Carolina entered into eternal rest on Monday, July 31, 2023, at Liberty Commons in Sanford, North Carolina.

Mary Alice Wood Hooker was born in Lee County on April 3, 1928. She transitioned to her heavenly home on Monday, July 31, 2023, at Liberty Commons in Sanford, NC, surrounded by family. She was the oldest of ten children born to the late Alfred Johnson and Alice Berryman Johnson.

Mary attended school at Lee County Training School and W. B. Wicker School. She married the late William Wood, had three sons, and raised one granddaughter. After Mr. Wood’s death, she married the late Elwood Hooker and moved to the Tempting Community. 

Mary accepted Christ at an early age and was a faithful member of New Endland AME Zion Church until her health declined. She held the positions of choir member, deaconess, missionary life member, and usher.

Mary was known as the “cake lady,” spending many days in her kitchen making homemade cakes. During the early years of baking cakes, the children in the community, who are now grown  adults, loved her delicious cake squares, and she couldn’t make enough. She also baked pound cakes, birthday cakes, wedding cakes, and special requested cakes. Mary enjoyed seeing the smiles on her client’s faces when they came to pick their cakes up. Mary was a member of the Eastern Star and Golden Circle.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, four brothers, Paul Johnson, Roy Johnson Sr., James Johnson, and William Johnson, and four sisters, Martha Gunter, Betty McCutchen, Barbara Jackson, and Elmalene Cox.

Mary leaves to cherish her memories three sons, Ronell Wood (Ossie) of Alabama, Raymond Wood of the home, and Robert Wood (Denise) of Sanford, NC; stepchildren, Elizabeth Wyatt, John Hooker, Elwood Hooker, Jr. (Mary), Donnie Hooker (Alice), Ronnie Hooker (JoAnn), Annie Hooker, Nathane Hooker (Donna), a sister, Brenda Bright of Sanford; a sister-in-law, Sara Johnson;  twenty-seven grandchildren, fifty-nine great-grandchildren; twenty-nine great-great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Please keep the family and friends of Mrs. Mary Alice Wood Hooker in your thoughts and prayers. 

Arrangements are entrusted to McLeod Funeral Home of Sanford, North Carolina.

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