Bridgewater, NJ - Thomas Buchanan Hood, Sr., 78, of Bridgewater and Toms River NJ, peacefully passed away Monday (June 4, 2007) at Raritan Health & Extended Care Center in Raritan, NJ. Born in Kearny, NJ, he was son of the late John Herbert and Elsie Davis Hood. He was predeceased by his sister Dorothy Ann Hood and his brother James Hood.

He was happily married to Janice Dowdy Hood for 52 years. Together they raised two children: Thomas B. Hood, Jr. of Westport, CT, and Barbara Hood Benz of Branchburg, NJ.

Thomas attended Kearny High School (1946) and graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson with a BS in Industrial Engineering (1950) and an MBA (1957).

Thomas worked most of his professional career at Johnson and Johnson. He retired from Ethicon Inc., a J&J division, in 1993 as Director of Industrial Engineering. Previous positions he held at Ethicon were Chief Industrial Engineer and Manager of Methods & Standards Ind. Eng. He began his career at Johnson & Johnson as an Industrial Engineer (1957) in Eastern Surgical Dressing. He began his professional career at Weston Electric Instrument Corp as an engineer.

Thomas was very involved with the American Institute of Industrial Engineering (AIIE) holding numerous posts including: President of the Raritan Valley AIIE; National Director of Work Measurement & Methods Div.; and Chairman of the Trustees of the American Valley Chapter. In addition, Thomas was an adjunct professor of Industrial Engineering at Rutgers University.

Thomas believed in helping others and worked tirelessly as the United Way Representative for Ethicon for many years. He held the post Executive on Loan shortly before retiring.

He participated in the Bridgewater Township Deer Commission and the Somerset County College Planning Committee which chose the location of the present campus. He was also on the Curriculum Committee for Industrial Engineering, at Newark College Engineering (later to be renamed NJIT), Newark, NJ. Further, Thomas also participated on a local board of industrial leaders that encouraged high school students to pursue studies and careers in math and science fields.

He was a volunteer for the US Army (1950) joining as a Private First Class during the Korean Excursion and rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant within the Army Reserve (1955-59). Thomas was a member of the VFW Raritan Chapter.

Thomas was a mason, as was his father and grandfather. He was affiliated with the Copestone Ophir Lodge #108 Kearny, NJ having recently celebrated his 55 anniversary as a Master Mason.

Thomas is also survived by 5 grandchildren: Elizabeth Jane Magwood Hood, Thomas Buchanan Hood III, Meredith Ann Entice Hood (all of Westport, CT) and Charles William Benz III and Justin John Benz (both of Branchburg, NJ).

Aside from his family and career, Thomas's greatest love was the NJ shore. He life guarded for several years as a teenager in Bayhead, NJ. Having built his Toms River home on Barnegat Bay in 1962, he continued to boat on these waters for over 45 years. In fact, his family suspects that he's currently in heaven happily cruising through white capped water in a large Boston Whaler.

Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 9, 2007 beginning 10:00am at Countryside Funeral Home, 724 Route 202 North, Three Bridges. Burial will follow at Somerset Hills Memorial Park, Mt. Airy Rd., Basking Ridge. Visitation will be at the funeral home on Friday, June 8, 2007 from 2-4 and 7-9 pm and on Saturday from 9:30am until service time.