Marvin L. Wood Obituary

Dallas Veterans Cemetery

2000 Mountain Creek Parkway

Dallas, TX 75211

Marvin Lloyd Wood, loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, brother and friend, departed this world in peace in Weatherford, Texas on October 9, 2022 at age 94. He has joined his wife, Martha Adams Wood; parents Forest & Maebelle Wood; siblings, Hank, James and Richard Wood and half siblings Lyle, Alice, Connie, Carl, Reuben, Ione and Floyd Wood.

Born in Fountain City, Wisconsin to Forest & Maebelle Wood of Eau Galle, Wisconsin on July 9, 1928 he was their first child. He grew up free to roam the coulees and rivers of western Wisconsin.

In 1949, he met his wife to be, Martha Adams of Cerro Gordo, Illinois where he stated that night that she was the girl he was going to marry. The course of their life was set. They married 6 weeks later and were together for 71 years. They had 4 children: Katherine, Joyce, Marvin Jr. and David.

As a young boy in a Wisconsin prairie field, Marvin saw his first airplane barnstorming. He was hooked and airplanes would lead the direction of his life. He joined the Army at age 16 in 1944 (with his mother’s permission) to fight in WWII and served in Iwo Jima in 1949. After the war he took a short break but reenlisted when the Army Air Corps was established as the US Department of the Air Force and went to a year-long mechanics school at Chanute AFB in Illinois. Marvin remained in the Air Force serving in Germany, Florida, Newfoundland, Maine, Texas and Washington DC. He was a B-52 Crew Chief during The Cold War for many years and would always recognize “his” airplanes by their tail numbers when we would visit a military facility. His final assignment was with 89th MAW as Crew Chief of Air Force II for Vice President Hubert Humphrey; his airplane is on display at Boeing’s Future of Flight Aviation Center & Museum in Seattle, Washington.

After retirement from the Air Force in 1968, at age 39, Marvin moved his family to Texas, went to work for a defense contractor and started school at night. After 10 years of college classes Marvin graduated with 2 degrees. Somewhere in that time frame Marvin found time to restore an old Victorian house and become the City Judge of Hutto, Texas. For the rest of his working career Marvin continued to work for defense contractors in Ft. Worth and stayed engaged with airplanes.

He was a great airplane restorer because he knew the airplane, the engine and how to make the parts that were no longer produced. His biggest restoration project was the B-36-J-III 52-2827 City of Fort Worth, built in Fort Worth, Texas in 1954, restored by the B-36 Peacemaker Museum (Fort Worth Aviation Heritage Museum) and currently on display at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona. His sons worked with him on this project and for years you could find an airplane body on his Texas property awaiting restoration.

We raise Marvin up as a living example of steadfastness. From the wonder of a barefoot Wisconsin boy watching airplanes overhead to the health challenges of some of his children to taking care of his family working multiple jobs at a time … they all highlighted his example of doing what needed to be done. He was an amazing role model, military style.

Marvin is survived by his brother, Jerome Stephenson (Sue), his 4 children, Katherine Goodman, Joyce (Danny) Griffiths, Marvin (Hye Kyong) Wood Jr. and David (Patsy) Wood; 11 grandchildren, Heather Kowis (Bryon) of New Caney, Texas, Carolyn Basinger (Shawn) of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Alex Gordy (Jennifer) of Denver, Colorado, David Wood Jr. (Tiphanie) of Norman, Oklahoma, Henry Wood (Elliot) of Weatherford, Texas, Hollie Wood of Weatherford, Texas, Amanda Dulaney (Jake) of Graham, Texas, Marvin Wood III (Abby) of Seattle, Washington, James Wood of Hudson Oaks, Texas, Michael Wood of Hudson Oaks, Texas, and Tyler (Alex) Davis of Weatherford, Texas; and 15 great-grandchildren, Alan Rock, Layne and Levi Kowis, Ethan and Luke Basinger, Anastasia and Isabella and John Griffiths, Rafal Zawiazalec, Chloe Wood, Bentley and Justin Dulaney, Kimberlyn Wood, Preston and Emma Thomas.

A long-standing member of the United Christian Church in Taylor, Texas he was Chairman of the Board for many years and responsible for the restoration and preservation of the church’s massive stained-glass windows. From singing in his small church as a boy with his brothers in Wisconsin to settling at the church in Taylor, Texas, Marvin forged his family members’ faith through his own journey. Friends and many other family members will sadly miss him.

Many thanks to the family and friends who participated in “walking him home”. Whether you were with him in person or through thoughts and prayers it is very appreciated. Final arrangements have been made with White’s Funeral Home in Weatherford, Texas and Marvin’s wishes were to not have a funeral service and we ask that each person who knew him to listen to the song “In The Garden”, his favorite. With family spread around the globe, a celebration of life will take place at a future date.

As a 32nd Degree Mason, Marvin was an avid member and supporter of the Masonic Temple in Fort Worth, Texas. Donations, in lieu of flowers, can be made to Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital (scottishriteforchildren.org); 2222 Welborn St., Dallas, TX 75219 in Marvin’s name.

Marvin & Martha, together again.

The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital

If you would like to make a donation to Roll Call in memory of Marvin Wood click below.