Former City Councilman Rev. Nicholas Hood, Sr., dies at age 92

ormer Detroit city councilman Rev. Nicholas Hood Sr., died Sunday. He was 92.

His youngest son, political strategist and TV host Steve Hood, confirmed his father’s death on Facebook, Sunday evening, while his oldest son Nicholas Hood, III wrote a heartfelt blog post about his father’s death on his website.

"I kept reminding myself that he had lived a good life for 92 years and had accomplished much more than most of us could in four lifetimes," the elder Hood writes, referring to his father’s lengthy list of accomplishments.

Hood was elected to Detroit City Council in 1965 and served for 28 years, only the second black councilor at the time. Per a biography on the Hood family website, the councilman oversaw efforts to recruit Black firefighters into the Detroit Fire Department.

As a clergyman and developer, Hood "developed over forty acres of housing in the 'Black Bottom' of Detroit" from 1963 to 1990, mostly for seniors and residents with disabilities.

Hood also oversaw a $1.6 million construction of the Plymouth Congregational Church of Detroit, where he was senior pastor for 24 years. He then "established a mental health ministry; laid the groundwork for the first church sponsored charter school in Michigan; (was) an original signer for the SCLC in New Orleans; encouraged Andrew Young to go into the Ministry and preached the ordination sermon for Andrew Young, forced the City of New Orleans to pave the streets around his church and so much more," his son writes. "Thinking of his accomplishments helped to take away the sting of his death."

Hood’s passing comes just over a month after the death of another former Detroit City Councilmember, Gil Hill.

"Rev. Hood was a dedicated servant of his God and of his city and was a true icon of social justice," Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says in a statement. "Everything he strived for and achieved as civil rights leader, a minister and an honorable member of City Council was for the sole purpose of lifting up the people of Detroit. Above all, Rev. Hood was a great family man and I am sure his family will continue his legacy."

Wayne County Executive Warren Evans also released a statement about Hood's passing.

"I will always admire Rev. Nicholas Hood Sr. for his political courage. He vigorously fought against discrimination; rallied the community to support the disadvantaged and created new opportunities for people displaced by urban renewal. Rev. Hood's activism helped to shape the landscape of leadership in the City of Detroit," Evans says.

Funeral arrangements are pending.