Stanley Cope Wood “Headed West” at the age of 90, on September 14, 2020, with his family by his side at his home in Sun Lakes, AZ.
Stanley was born December 14, 1929, at his family home, 2 miles southwest of Elmdale, Kansas to Olive Cope Wood and Paul Bailey Wood, the fifth of six children, 3 boys, and 3 girls. After attending Elmdale schools, he graduated from Kansas State College on May 27, 1951, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Engineering and commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force Reserve.
He was immediately called to active duty and, after completing pilot training, received his AF Pilot Wings in June 1952. He was ordered to Korea in 1952 after attending fighter gunnery school and flew combat in the F-84 Thunder jet until the cease-fire agreement in 1953.
Upon returning to the States he was an Instructor Pilot in the USAF Under-Graduate Pilot training program, an Intelligence Officer at Headquarters USAF, and an Instructor Pilot in Fighter Gunnery, including Conventional and Nuclear Weapons delivery. In 1968 he went to Vietnam flying in combat the F-100 Super Sabre. In 1989 he was placed on the USAF Retired List at the grade of Colonel with over 38 years of service, including 10 years of active duty.
In civilian life he was a Partner and General Manager of Kalispell Bottling Company, a Pepsi Cola Bottler in northwest Montana; in Denver, Colorado a Sales Engineer with Mountain States Industries, a pump and electric motor distributor, the Asst. Chief Application Engineer of the Vertical Turbine Pump Division of Worthington Corporation, a Sales Engineer with Electro Hydraulics, a hydraulic component distributor, and a Colorado Air National Guard Technician, first the Base Operation Officer/Air Field Manager and later the Base Commander of Buckley Air National Guard Base.
In 1981 he was transferred from Air Guard status to the Air Force Reserve and his technician status was terminated. After living in Marion, KS for 3 years he and his wife moved to Phoenix, AZ where he was a consultant to Robertson Aviation and Program Manager for their Range Extension Tank Unit.
He retired in 1991 and he and his wife enjoyed the retirement activities of the Sun Lakes community and traveled the US in their motor home. He was married to Sharon Parkerson in 1955 and to that union, they had 2 sons. Sharon died in 1961. In 1965 he married Venita Meusel who had a daughter who he adopted. That marriage ended in divorce in 1971. A marriage to Joyce La Dean Seiler followed in 1977. She had 3 sons.
Col Wood is survived by 1 sister, Pauline Ferrell, 2 sons, Wade Parkerson Wood and Stephen Parkerson Wood, a daughter, Pamela Wood Koenig, 3 stepsons, Charles Baker, William Seiler, and Steven Seiler, 9 grandchildren, Kayla Koenig Watson, Meagan Koenig Schmitt, Courtney Christine Wood, Stephanie Nicole Wood, Melissa Michell Cotton, Bryan Mitchel Baker, Christopher Charles Baker, Joseph Stanley Seiler, and Jason Louis Seiler, 6 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
Col Wood was an FAA Commercial Pilot with both Single Engine and Multi-Engine Ratings. He was also an FAA Certified Flight Instructor. Col Wood was a Kansas Licensed Registered Professional Engineer for over 65 years.
A memorial service was held on Saturday, November 21, 2020, at Elmdale Cemetery, followed by a celebration of life at Clover Cliff Ranch, both in Elmdale, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations be made in Stanley’s honor to Camp Wood YMCA, 1101 Camp Wood Road, Elmdale, KS 66850.
Source: https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/18796532/Stanley-Wood