Bluefield, WV - Garland Ray Wood, 88, a honest and God fearing man of Bluefield WV, passed away on November 17,2025 after a long struggle with Alzheimers. He was born October 20,1937 in Shawnee, Oklahoma and was the son of the late Estel Haley Wood and Estel Nancy Wall Wood. He was a member of the Ceres Baptist Church in Bluefield, WV. At the age of 9, Garland moved to Fresno, California with his parents. He was saved and baptized in 1948 at the Bethel Baptist Church in Fresno. At the age of 13 he started working after school to help his parents with expenses and graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1955. Garland joined the Air Force in 1957 and was trained in electronics and radar repair which determined much of his future work. After the Air Force, Garland did television repair and telephone repair before starting his career at FMC Corporation in San Jose, CA. He hired in as an electrician but due to his intelligence and work ethic, quickly worked his way into management. Garland achieved his BSBA degree from University of Phoenix in 1990. He retired as the manufacturing manager for the research and development division of FMC/UDLP producing military tracked vehicles in 1998. He received many honors, commendations, awards, and promotions throughout his career.
Garland's hobbies included woodworking, traveling, fishing and working puzzles. He was a firstrate handyman and could fix most things no matter how complex.
In addition to his parents, Garland was preceded in death by his sister Wanda Owens, and his brothers Herman and Richard Wood.
Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of 39 years, Kitty O'Neal Wood and his (3) children: Gary (Cheryl) Wood of Colorado, David (Cindy) Wood of California and Kathy (Don) Wall of California, as well as a host of in-laws, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nephews, nieces and friends.
Funeral services will be held 1:00 P.M. Monday, November 24, 2025, in the Chapel of the Memorial Funeral Directory on the Athens Road in Princeton with the Rev. James Mooney officiating. Interment will follow at the Sunset Memorial Park in Beckley. Friends may visit with the family from Noon until the service hour at the funeral home. Online condolences may be shared with the family via www.memorialfd.com.
The family of Garland Wood is being served by Memorial Funeral Directory and Cremation Center on the Athens Road in Princeton.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Garland, please visit our floral store.
Bluefield, WV - Garland Ray Wood, 88, a honest and God fearing man of Bluefield WV, passed away on November 17,2025 after a long struggle with Alzheimers. He was born October 20,1937 in Shawnee, Oklahoma and was the son of the late Estel Haley Wood and Estel Nancy Wall Wood. He was a member of the Ceres Baptist Church in Bluefield, WV. At the ag
Published on November 20, 2025
Monday, November 24, 2025
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Monday, November 24, 2025
1:00 pm
In Memory of Garland Ray Wood