Clifford C.R. Hood

Clifford Charles Randolph Hood, recently of Wyndmoor, died on March 30th, 2026. He was the former president of C.C.R. Hood & Company, Inc., an advertising and public relations firm for 40 years.

His clients included a wide range of fields from retail and industrial companies to colleges and retirement communities. They included such names as Cathedral Village, where he resided for the last 8 years of his life, Hatboro Federal Savings, Poinsettia Groves of Florida, The Rhodes Garden, Seifert X-Ray of Germany and Westminster Choir College.

Mr. Hood was a singer from age ten. At that time he won a vocal competition against hundreds of other boys for one of the 20 positions in the St. James Choir. The reward was a full scholarship at The Episcopal Academy. Besides singing twice on Sundays, the choir also sang every day, Monday through Friday, at regular services at school, and rehearsed every day, except Saturday.

Following graduation in 1945, Mr. Hood served as a Cadet Midshipman in the Navy. In 1947, he transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 1951 cum laude. He also received a Naval Reserve commission. At Penn he was active in the Daily Pennsylvanian, becoming Features Editor in his senior year.

Following a brief period with WFIL radio and television, he entered the Navy in November 1951, and was attached to the USS Pictor (AF 54) in February 1952. He served on the Pictor off Korea until the war was over. On the Pictor, he invented the first safe way for personnel and cargo to be moved between ships at sea. This service is still in use today. He was discharged in December 1953 with the rank of Lieutenant JG.

He rejoined WFIL at their new headquarters at 46th and Market Streets in their promotion department. He promoted “Bandstand” with Dick Clark among many programs. He served there for six years until he was recruited by the Richard A. Foley advertising agency as a copywriter. In January 1962, he was able to start his own firm with two clients, Poinsettia Groves and Leary's Book Store. Because of his commitment to the firm, he had to resign from the Naval Reserve with the rank of full Lieutenant.

1n 1984 he directed the successful bicentennial of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. While running his own agency, Mr. Hood was also vice president of Doremus & Company for two years, the financial public relations and advertising division of the international Omnicom group. He was also manager of corporate communications for Scott Paper Company for two years.

Except when in the Navy, Clifford sang in quartets and the choirs at various churches. He also sang in The Savoy Company from 1954-1958 as a principal where he met his wife, Charlotte Parke Stevenson. They were married in 1958. He joined the Orpheus Club in 1962 when he dropped his other singing engagements. He sang with them until 2018. He also joined the choir in St. Barth's FWI where he and his wife spent their winters.

Mr. Hood was active with a variety of civic groups. He was a Board member of The Seamans Church Institute of Philadelphia, a Board member and past president of the Philadelphia chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, a Board member and past president of both the Musical Fund society and its foundation, a past president of the Orpheus Club, and a Colleague of the Creative Education Foundation of Buffalo, NY.

Mr. Hood's wife, Charlotte Stevenson Hood died in August of 2018. He was also predeceased by his son, C. Charles R. Hood Jr. of Traviso, Italy in 2021, and daughter, Annette Stevenson Hood, in 1972. He is survived by his daughter, Christianna Thompson Hood of New York City and two grandsons and 3 great grandchildren in Italy

A memorial service will be held at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, 8000 St. Martin's Lane, on Saturday, May 23rd at 11:00 am, followed by a reception in the Parish hall. Burial will be private.