Jimmie J. Wood

Funeral services for Jimmie J. Wood, 61, of Lebanon, Missouri will be held Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. in the Denman Avenue Baptist Church with Pastor Charles M. Roberts officiating. Graveside services with military honors will be held at 4:00 p.m. in the Lakewood Cemetery in Henderson.

Mr. Wood was born May 1, 1949 in Lufkin, Texas to Mary Katherine ""Kate"" (Apple) and Jimmie Allen Wood, and died Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at his residence. He had moved to Lebanon, Missouri in October 2010, having previously resided in Huntington for five years.

Mr. Wood was a Vietnam veteran. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1968 and was a Cypto operator on the USS Piedmont. He graduated from Fairview High School in Boulder, Colorado. While running a farm, Mr. Wood graduated from Bolivar College in Missouri with a degree in teaching. He then went to Wyoming where he worked with handicapped children. From there he went to Colorado where he managed a large condominium complex. Mr. Wood later moved to Texas where he ran his own construction company for years and then worked as an appraiser for several home builders in Houston.

Mr. Wood had a great love for baseball, which began at age 3. He went with his dad to Little League every day and was an All-Star in his high school in Boulder, Colorado. Mr. Wood held the job of Founder and President of the Houston Senior Baseball Association in Houston, where he had to give up playing because of age and health.

Mr. Wood wrote poetry, and loved animals, flowers, bird watching, fishing and nature. He also adored his companion of six years, a small green parrot named Charlie. Mr. Wood believed in hope and the human spirit, and helping others made him happy. He was charitable to a fault; if anyone needed anything and he had it or even sometimes when he did not, it was given without question. If all he could do was cook for you, by golly you were given a full meal with extras.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy Wood of Lufkin; daughter, Laura Wood; sons and daughters-in-law, Michael and Marlis Wood of Berlin, Germany, Ben and Jill Wood of Juneau, Alaska and Brian and Julie Wood of Neenah, Wisconsin; grandchildren, Perry Wood of Lufkin, Lucas and Cassandra Wood of Berlin, Germany, David and Dylan Wood of Juneau, Alaska; father and mother, Jim and Kate Wood of Lufkin; brothers and sisters-in-law, David and Christine Wood of Kansas City, Kansas, John and Linda Wood and Garry and Kathy Wood, all of Lufkin; nephew, Andrew Wood and wife Angie of Littleton, Colorado; niece, Katherine Klunder and husband Bryan of California; great-nieces, Addison and Delaney Klunder of California; mother-in-law, Phyllis Barkhurst of Michigan; and sister-in-law, Julie Barkhurst of Michigan.

He joins his grandparents, Jack and Faye Wood, Laura, Jack and Bonnie Apple; great-grandparents, John and Lavona Beard; uncle, Jack Apple, Jr.; aunts, Joan Apple Finley and Reba Wood Grandbois; father-in-law, Elmer Barkhurst; and brother-in-law, William Barkhurst.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Most Excellent Way Ministry of Denman Avenue Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1351, Lufkin, Texas 75902.

The family will welcome friends and loved ones from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Thursday morning at Denman Avenue Baptist Church.

Memories and condolences may be added at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.

Carroway Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.