Announcement issued on behalf of the family
Kathleen Hood, who co-founded the Lisini Pub Company with her late husband Harry in 1969, has died following a short illness. She was 81.
A highly respected figure in Lanarkshire’s hospitality industry, Kathleen devoted more than 60 years to the trade and helped build one of the region’s best-known and most enduring hospitality groups. The Lisini portfolio includes the Angels Hotel and Castle Rooms in Uddingston, Dalziel Park in Motherwell, and the Parkville Hotel in Blantyre.
Born into the licensed trade, Kathleen was the middle of three sisters. Her parents were publicans in Glasgow’s Gorbals in the late 1950s, where her father ran Tony’s Bar. Decades later, Kathleen took great pride in seeing a bar at the Angels Hotel named in honour of her husband, a fitting tribute to a life spent in hospitality.
After leaving school, Kathleen went on to study at the University of Strathclyde. Her plans changed abruptly when her father died suddenly, and she returned to help sustain the family business and support her family. At that time, her boyfriend Harry, who became the love of her life, proved a constant source of support, helping in the pub despite also working as a salesman with Dunn & Moore and playing part-time football with Clyde FC.
Harry would go on to become a footballing legend, enjoying five successful seasons with Celtic, winning five league titles, three Scottish Cups and two League Cups, scoring a memorable hat-trick against Rangers, the winning goal in the 1971 Scottish Cup final, and finishing that season as Scotland’s top scorer. Yet to her family and friends, Kathleen was equally legendary.
Alongside raising her three children – Lisa, Siobhan, and Nicky – Kathleen played a pivotal role in the commercial side of the business, guiding its growth and success with dedication and care. She remained hands-on in the day-to-day operations until her daughter Lisa joined the company and eventually helped transform it into a limited company, opening the door for Kathleen and Harry to travel and embrace life more fully.
Harry’s passing in 2019, followed by the heartbreak of losing Lisa in January 2023, were profound losses, yet Kathleen’s resilience shone through. As the loving matriarch of the family, she quietly returned to the business when needed, before finally retiring as a Director in June of this year.
Known for her style, intuition and quiet authority, Kathleen was widely regarded as the driving force behind the scenes. Warm, gracious and instinctively able to put people at ease, she was also astute and formidable, with a sharp eye for detail and little that escaped her notice.
Kathleen Hood leaves behind a lasting legacy in Lanarkshire hospitality, and she will be lovingly remembered by her family, friends and all who had the privilege of working and knowing her. She leaves behind a legacy of strength, commitment, and unwavering love.
Kathleen is survived by her children Siobhan and Nicky and loving grandchildren Harry, Callum, Mackenzie and Helena.
