DUNEDIN, Fla. – Thea Hanood passed away peacefully on the morning of Feb. 7, 2019, surrounded by her loving family. She fought a brave year long battle against cancer, never giving up hope.
Thea was born in Portland, Maine on Feb. 10, 1951, to Santo and Althea Palanza. She was the oldest of three children.
She met her husband, Phil, when a neighbor of Thea’s sold him his house in Canton, Maine. The joke was that Steve Drury sold Phil a house and found him a woman. Phil proposed to Thea at the top of their favorite mountain in Virginia, McAfee’s Knob. Their life together was full of adventures conquering mountains and exploring new trails.
Thea was an outdoor enthusiast who loved skiing, hiking, kayaking, fishing, and sailing with Phil. Their most memorable hikes were thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail and the Camino in Spain. When Thea wasn’t hiking a trail, she and Phil were providing rides and “Trail Magic” for hikers on trails in Maine and in Virginia. They made friends from around the world through hiking.
Thea was a teacher inside and out of the classroom for almost 40 years. She touched many lives throughout her teaching career in Maine and in Virginia as a Kindergarten and first grade teacher. Books were a passion of Thea’s and she always had a book to share or recommend to young and old. She treasured her book collections and last summer Phil built her a Little Free Library to be placed at the end of their camp road on Worthley Pond in Peru, Maine.
Thea’s greatest joy was spending time with her grandchildren. She was lovingly known as “Boo Boo” or “Damma Thea”. Whether she was reading stories, taking the kids to the park, teaching them how to garden or going on hikes, it was always her favorite time.
Thea is survived by her loving husband Phil; her son Greg and daughter-in-law Lauren; her sister DeDe and brother-in-law Ron and special “daughter” Wendy. Her sweet grandchildren include Layla, Jude, Guy, Stella, Quinn, and Riley. Thea also considered Sienna, Willow, and Harley her grandchildren as well.
There will be a small service in Dunedin, Fla. followed by a service in Maine in July.
In lieu of flowers,
donations can be made to the cancer foundation
of choice
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