William W Wood

William Warren "Bill" Wood, 94, of Vera passed away Saturday, August 19, 2017 in Seymour.

A Private Celebration of Bill's Life will be held at a later date. Cremation arrangements were under the direction of Archer Funeral Home, Seymour.

Bill was born August 6, 1923 in Duncan, Oklahoma to Leslie Monroe and Oma Madora Farrar Wood. He was a graduate of Wichita Falls High School, Midwestern State University, Harvard University and MIT. Bill was a WWII veteran of the U.S. Navy serving in the South Pacific. He was a manufacturing research engineer for Chance Vought Aircraft. Bill was also instrumental in the building of the Alaskan Railroad. He was preceded in death by his son, Leslie Wayne Wood, his parents, sisters Oma and Opal and brothers Jack, Dale, and Donald.

He was a resident of Knox County for over 40 years. Bill was a naturalist, an antique gun collector, a knife maker, an author and enjoyed motorcycles, camping, canoeing rivers and hiking.

He is survived by his wife, Dorthy Downing Wood of Vera; a daughter, Sherree Wood Sewell of De Soto; 2 step-daughters, Linda Downing Croom of Oklahoma City and Debra Downing Barnhart of Orlando, Florida; a step-son, Bobby Downing of Midland; a niece, Janna Wood Woods of Rockwall; a nephew, George Popko of Athens, Tx; his dear friends, Larry and Pattie Bratcher of Vera; 7 step-grandchildren; 8 step-great grandchildren and 4 step-great great grandchildren.