Martha “Marty” Helaine Wood, 76, of Cleveland, TN, passed away Friday, November 9, 2012, at the family residence, surrounded by her devoted husband, children and grandchildren.
She was a long-term member of First Alliance Church in Chattanooga, where she and husband “Woody” served as youth directors in the 1960s and continued to assist in teaching Sunday school through 2012. She also attended Lebanon Interdenominational Church in southwest Bradley County.
She grew up in Buffalo, NY and attended Houghton College in Houghton, NY where she majored in Psychology. There she participated in athletics and met the love of her life Lyman “Woody” Wood. Known as “the Campbell Kids” while dating, the couple married and moved to Chattanooga then Cleveland.
She began teaching in Bradley County at Black Fox Elementary School in 1971 and retired in 2001 after 30 years of service. She spent almost all of her years at Black Fox teaching 5th grade and was loved and respected by students, teachers and principals alike.
Among many hobbies she was passionate about tennis, biking, walking and flower gardening. She was a member of the Chattanooga Tennis Association and YMCA and competed regularly in regional and national senior-league tennis tournaments. She spent most of her time actively involved in the lives of her 3 children and 8 grandchildren. She was known to be seen at every soccer, baseball, tennis, football, basketball, theatre and ballet activity in addition to every school event involving any of her grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by parents, Russell L. Cronk and Marion D. Bentley Cronk; and brother, Donald Cronk.
Survivors include her husband, Lyman Wood of Cleveland; daughter, Colleen Wood Peach and son-in-law Brian Peach of Marietta, GA; son Randy and daughter-in-law Audri Wood of Cleveland and son Rick and daughter-in-law Missy Wood of Chattanooga; eight grandchildren, Jacob Peach, Sarah Peach, Calvin Wood, David Wood, Emma Wood, Abigail Wood, George Wood and Mary Wood; sister and brother-in-law Marilyn and Lloyd Welton of Harrison; one niece and two nephews.
The Celebration of Life Service will be conducted at 1 p.m., Tuesday, November 13, in the chapel of Ralph Buckner Funeral Home with the Reverend Lee Peters officiating. Interment will follow in Laurel Hill-Lebanon Cemetery. A White Dove Release Ceremony will conclude the service.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 8 p.m., Monday, November 12 and 12-1 p.m. Tuesday, November 13, at the Ralph Buckner Funeral Home who has charge of the arrngements.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Bradley-Cleveland Public Education Foundation for “Marty Wood” mini grant at Black Fox Elementary School.