Obituaries

Jack F. Wood, 87, of Henry County, passed away December 12, 2022. He was born in Franklin County, Virginia, on July 13, 1935 to the late Ralph T. Wood and Erma Stone Wood. He has one brother, Dan Wood of Franklin, TN. He was married to the late Rebecca Savage Wood for 63 years. Together, they had two children, Michael R. Wood (Lyn), and Jackie Elder Savage, both living in the area. Jackie has three children living in Florida, Joshua Elder, M. D., Misty Elder Sommer and Misha Elder; and great-grandchildren, Javin, Ash, Gaia and Nolen.

Jack’s education includes being a graduate of Martinsville High School, AA Degree from Campbell College, BS degree from Florida State University, and MA degree from Sam Houston State University with special training at the College of William and Mary and the University of Minnesota. His work experience began young when he delivered newspapers and worked for grocery stores, including Winn-Dixie. He then served four years in the United States Air Force in Florida with special duty in North Africa. He obtained the rank of Staff Sergeant and received two Outstanding Airman awards, each being for a six month period. After college he was employed for Patrick County, Virginia as a Director of the Welfare Department and then to the Pinellas County Juvenile Court in Florida working his way from Investigator of child abuse and juvenile delinquency to Assistant Director. He also served as the first Director of the Central Alabama Youth Services at a Juvenile Justice Agency. After a major judicial reform and reorganization of services, Jack returned to Florida as the area supervisor for juvenile probation and parole for Tampa and Hillsborough County. Through the years, Jack advanced to become the State’s district #6 (Tampa, Hillsborough and Manatee Counties) operational administrator for social services and juvenile justice. He worked at a second job as an Adjunct Instructor for Juvenile Delinquency at the University of South Florida. Before retirement, he became the Assistant Director of the Manatee County Health Department. There, he also managed the setting of quality control standards along with its objective measurements and using the CQI process in the non-medical area of the department.

After retirement, he returned to Virginia where he worked part time for the Patrick County Department of Social Services as their Welfare Fraud Investigator, along with their workforce center’s counselor. Jack was a GED instructor for the Patrick Henry Community College and was assigned to two correctional facilities in Martinsville, Virginia. He volunteered at the Virginia Employment Communion in the area helping the unemployed locate jobs. His interest has always been family, friends and his church, having attended last, the Villa Heights Baptist Church. Also, he loved photography as a hobby and organized local photography clubs and photo competitions. In addition to his college thesis in juvenile delinquency, he also had state and national professional articles published. He had been appointed to planning boards by governors, of both state and local.

His remains, along with that of his wife will be placed in a veteran’s cemetery, when the location is approved. Again, he asked that any donations to his memory be made to one’s own charity. Jack attributes his mother, his first employer (George Barbour), his first minister (Reverend Gerald Goss), his first neighbor (Charles Bradley), his college professor (Dr. George Killinger), his supervisors (Carl Neil and Dr. Glady Branic) and Judge James Calhoun who gave him that special nudge, advice or knowledge that changed the course of his life goals or thinking.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Sunday, December 18, 2022, at 2:00 PM at Wright Funeral Service Chapel with Pastor Keith Spangenberg officiating.

Wright Funeral Service & Crematory is serving the family.