Jerry Donald Wood passed away peacefully on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at the Clyde Lassen Veterans Home in St. Augustine, Fla., surrounded by his family.
Jerry was born Aug. 28, 1933, in Yadkin County, N.C. to Oliver and Hazel Wood and spent the first part of his life in Randleman, N.C. before the family moved to Hialeah, Fla. Following high school, Jerry joined the Air Force where he began a 20 year career that took him all over the world and led him to his wife of almost 65 years, Lynn Howard Wood. Jerry and Lynn met and married while he was stationed in England where they had their daughter, Dawn. The family moved back to the States, first to Texas and then to Tennessee, where they had their second child, their son Tim.
Jerry and his family followed his U.S. Air Force career around the country until his retirement, when they settled on their farm south of Lee, Fla. in 1970 and he began a second career running the family Greyhound business. Jerry then went on to work for Jimmy Davis Enterprises for many years and later for Jeff's Hardware. His work ethic guided his whole adult life and was passed onto his children. Jerry spent his free time reading, and we do mean a lot of reading, as well as going to yard sales, and helping anyone with anything that had a motor. This included working with two of his closest friends, Jerry Farnell and Jamie Clark.
Jerry was a beloved grandfather, husband, father, brother and friend to many. He is preceded in death by his wife, Lynn Wood, who passed in March of 2019, and is survived by his daughter, Dawn, and husband, Randy Langford; his son, Timothy, and wife, Colleen Wood; his two granddaughters: Sydney and Emma Wood; his brother, Ray, and wife, Betty Wood; his sister, Kay Simpson; his sister, Mary Ann, and husband, Tommy Popola; and many nieces, nephews and friends.
In the words of his granddaughters, Jerry was quite simply their favorite person on Earth. That feeling was shared by many and he will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.
The funeral service for Jerry Donald Wood will be held at St Mary's Episcopal Church, 140 NE Horry Ave. in Madison, on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 1:30 p.m. and all his friends are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans' Nursing Home in St. Augustine at 4650 State Road 16, St. Augustine, Fla. 32092.