Former state Sen. Morris Hood III, 54, has died of COVID-19 related complications after weeks in the hospital, Michigan lawmakers confirmed Tuesday.
Hood, a Detroit Democrat who was term-limited out of office in 2018 after serving in both the House and Senate, had been on a ventilator after COVID-19 exacerbated other underlying health conditions related to Hood’s kidney transplant, Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, said on the Senate floor.
Hood was popular among Democrats and Republicans alike and was known for his kindness and calm demeanor, even during passionate legislative debates. In 2018 farewell speeches on the Senate floor, former Sens. David Knezek and then-Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof both referred to him as the “conscience of the Senate.”
After his last term in the Senate, Hood III worked in Wayne County Executive Warren Evans’ office.
During a tribute on the Senate floor Tuesday, Ananich said Hood could always be counted on to remind lawmakers to hug their loved ones and keep a cool head, even during the most passionate debates.
He called Hood “a friend, a confidant and a spiritual rock for our caucus” in a followup statement, noting everyone who served with him had a story about how his perspective had helped them through difficult times.
Hood was no stranger to loss - his wife, Angela, died in 2013. During a Senate floor speech in December of that year, Hood urged his colleagues to live without regrets, because everyone is “running at that brick wall” and shouldn’t take life for granted.
“We can pass laws, we can make laws, and we change lives here every day, but the precious life that we have is not always going to be here,” he said at the time. “Enjoy this. Enjoy your family. Enjoy your spouses. Tell them that you love them every day, because tomorrow may not be here - it may not.”
Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr., D-East Lansing, said he bonded with Hood over their shared background - both of their parents had also been well-known Michigan lawmakers. Hertel said Hood’s mantra that tomorrow is not a promise was one his former colleague took very seriously.
“He lived that every single day,” Hertel said.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who served with Hood in the legislature, said he “was the type of guy that lit up the room and made you glad to be there.”
“He is doing that in his next life now and those of us left here are better having known him,” she said.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Detroit, said when her husband, former Congressman John Dingell, died, “there was no one who understood” better than Hood.
“He just was there as a rock to help get me through,” she said on social media. “He did so much good for so many, never stopped working for others and our communities will deeply miss him.”
Hood was a good listener, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake, said. In a Tuesday floor speech, he recalled setting up an initial meeting with Hood about a policy issue and instead spent 40 minutes telling Hood about himself.
“He was interested in people, he was interested in me, he was interested in all of us,” he said. “It’s about active listening, and Mo was as good at that as anybody that I can remember.”
As of Tuesday, 48,201 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Michigan, and 4,674 deaths have been confirmed.
COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS
In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.
Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.
Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces.
Read all of MLive’s coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus.
Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
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