Obituaries : David William Wood

David William Wood

Summerville, SC – David William Wood, 65, of Summerville, SC, husband of Joan Disher Wood, passed away Friday, September 27, 2013, at his home.
A memorial service will be held Tuesday, October 1, 2013 at 11 am at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd which gathers at Wesley United Methodist Church, 125 Pressley Avenue, Summerville, SC. His cremains will be buried with honors at sea by the United States Navy.
Dave was born in Vinton, Iowa, on March 6, 1948. He graduated from Cornell College, Mount Vernon, IA in 1970 with a BA in History and Political Science.
He enlisted in the Navy in 1972 and retired as a Commander in 1997, after 25 years. He proudly served on the USS Sampson in Athens, Greece; USS Stribling in Jacksonville, FL; USS Wainwright in Charleston, SC; USS Cochrane in Pearl Harbor, HI; USS Raleigh in Norfolk, VA; as the Executive Officer of the USS Mount Baker in Charleston, SC, and as the Commanding Officer of the USS Butte in Sandy Hook, NJ. He served as the Executive Officer of the Charleston Naval Station. Commander Wood’s awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (three awards) and the Navy Commendation medal as well as service awards.
Dave and Joan moved to New Orleans, LA, in 1998, where he was an engineering projects coordinator for Avondale Shipyard which is currently Huntington Ingalls. He was chairman of the local American Society of Naval Engineers and Chairman of the NSRP (National Shipbuilding Research Program). He loved spending his Saturday mornings volunteering for the World War II Museum restoring an authentic PT boat. He was also an active member of Christ Church Cathedral in New Orleans.
In addition to his wife, Dave is survived by: daughter, Parrish Ella Wood of Rock Hill, SC; mother, Doris Wood Pippert of Vinton, IA; brother, Stephen Wood and his wife Linda, of Vinton, IA; nieces: Staci Wood-Greenwood of Vinton, IA; Jill Wood Lehman of Brandon, IA; and uncles: Lee Smalley of Menomonie, WI; Jim Smalley of Quincy, MA; John Smalley of Chicago, IL; and Gene Smalley of Schoemburg, IL. He was predeceased by his father Elvin Wood and his stepson Michael Bryan Turnbull.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, P.O. Box 7, Summerville, SC 29484.