Celebration of Life Service: 1:00 p.m., Saturday, September 22, 2018
Location: Weymouth Funeral Home Chapel
Reception: Following the Service
Location: Weymouth Funeral Home
George Marshall Wood Jr. died on September 8, 2018, surrounded by his family, after a long battle with cancer. Born in Fairfield, Connecticut, George was the oldest of two sons of George Marshall Wood Sr. and Oresta Claudia Ziroli Wood. He leaves to grieve in his passing his doting daughters, Judy, Dee, and Jennifer; his loving brother and sister-in-law, David and Margaret Lou; eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Growing up in Waynesboro, Georgia, Dad and his brother David savored small-town life, spending their days exploring the outdoors, fishing in nearby lakes, and hunting with their father. Moving away for high school, he graduated from Gordon Military College in Barnesville, Georgia. From here, he went to Roanoke College, where he met Nancy, the love of his life. They were married shortly after and began their 66-year life-long journey together. Our father took his responsibility as provider seriously. He was self-made, self-reliant, and resourceful, doing whatever he had to do to take care of his Nancy. He started out as a file clerk and soon after, served our country in the Korean War. When he returned home, he found his passion: Physics. From earning his BA in Physics from the University of Georgia to his MS and Ph.D. in Engineering Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, our Dad engaged with the world as a man who saw endless possibilities. As a consummate dreamer and thinker, he began his professional career at NASA Langley Research Center in the Instrument Research Division, where his tenure spanned 36 years. Alongside his colleagues, he researched, created experiments, and delivered papers on a wide array of scientific concepts, ran tests in some of LaRC’s wind tunnels, conducted mass spectrometric experimentation, authored 102 publications, and developed 9 patents. He played a lead role in Space Tether Systems and in orbital flight projects on the Space Shuttle Endeavor and Delta-II Expendable Launch Vehicles. He received 9 individual and 7 group achievement awards for technical and managerial excellence. In 1986, he and his doctoral advisor (and dear friend) from RPI, Dr. Frederick White, co-authored Mass Spectrometry: Applications in Science and Engineering, a well-received, often-cited book. Our Dad’s accomplishments are endless. As an Aerospace Technologist, Research Scientist, and Group Leader, our father collaborated with colleagues both close to home and far and wide. More often than not, Nancy was by his side as his work spanned the globe, and business trips became adventures. They journeyed to Italy when Dad developed projects with the Italian Space Agency that involved The Tethered Satellite System. They actually moved to New Orleans (Dad’s favorite city!) for a time when Dad conducted experiments and wrote papers with researchers at University of New Orleans. They made time to attend the opera in Oslo, Norway where Dad was to deliver a presentation. Wherever they were, they valued the connections that they made; Dad’s colleagues and their families became more than lifelong friends, they were and are our extended families. After retiring from NASA, Dad became a Vice President and the Aerospace Program Manager at STC Corporation and STC Catalysts in Hampton, Virginia. He continued to be a consultant there until he was no longer able, as he loved genuinely being apart of a scientific team. Dad took great pleasure in leading a life of science, and this was only a part of who he was. He was brilliant, funny, loving, and generous. He was the Dad who always kept Waynesboro in his heart, who piled us into our overstuffed car to embark on a 14-hour road trip to Grama’s so that we too could know the magic of his hometown:fishing for brim, frog-gigging, picking peaches (Grama’s neighbor always left some on the tree for us), and savoring Mr. Henry’s barbecue…He was the Dad who cleaned the fish we caught or kept the fire going while we toasted marshmallows…He was the Dad who loved his martinis with five olives (Mom taught us to mix them carefully with extra ice)…the Dad who rode endless, terrifying rides with us at every amusement park on the East Coast…and the Dad who was always filled with a sense of wonder. As a lifelong learner, Dad was also a teacher of all things. His method was simple. He taught by example. At any age, when challenged to cobble together a science project in 12 hours, crushed with disappointment, or faced with an ethical dilemma, Dad got us through, showed us the way. He showed us how to be a neighbor, a friend, and a problem solver. He showed us that above all, he loved his family. Our father had a quiet dignity and a steadfast inner strength. He waited for his three girls to be by his side before he passed, and we felt blessed to be able to say one last time: We love you, Daddy. A life well lived and loved, he is now and forever with his “Beautiful Girl, Nancy.” Best husband, father, and grandfather ever.
A Celebration of Dad’s Life for family and friends will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, September 22, 2018, at Weymouth Funeral Home with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Newport News, VA 23601, where he was a dedicated member for many years. Arrangements by Weymouth Funeral Home.