Elizabeth "Betty" Friedrichs Wood

She skied the Matterhorn, dove the Great Barrier Reef and spent many happy weekends canoeing the Bogue Chitto River, camping on the gravel shore in tents where she taught her children to build a one-match fire.

Natural curiosity led Betty Wood to check out the Butterfly migration in Michoacán Mexico, scuba through coral cave formations in the Cayman Islands and track interesting animals in Zimbabwe. Befriending locals (while attempting their language) was a travel bonus.

Betty was always the mom chosen to chaperone spring breaks to Destin.

She was Capable Broad who could tie a canoe to the luggage rack of a loaded station wagon by 4:00 on Friday afternoons so husband, kids and dog could just hop right in to begin the weekend.

A seventh generation New Orleanian, she still managed to live two years on a US Navy base in Japan and ten years on New York's Long Island.

A long, prolific, award-winning art career began at Metairie Park Country Day School and continued at Newcomb and many a home in New Orleans has a Betty Wood portrait or painting hanging inside.

Predeceasing her were her parents Edwin Jerome Friedrichs and Elizabeth Reid Friedrichs, a brother William "Bill" Friedrichs, her former husband, Donald William Wood, Sr., Maternal Grandparents: William Rogers Reid and Sarah Pearce Reid and Paternal Grand Parents George Friedrichs and Marguerite Shelby Friedrichs, a mean, green parrot named Grinch and a plethora of other beloved pets from Cocker Spaniels to Cockateels.

Surviving Betty are her three children: Sarah Louise Wood Ham (Scott), Donald William Wood, Jr (Ainsy Newell) and Pearce Friedrichs Wood (Babs Bates), three brothers E Jerome "Jerry". Friedrichs, Jr, (Elizabeth), Wynne Reid Friedrichs (Kathy) and David Friedrichs (Barbara) eight grandchildren: Caroline, Hunter (Lainah Ingalls) and Briggs Ham, Kate, Norah, Worth, Sadie and Ashton Wood, four great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Betty's favorite song was "She'll be comin round the mountain when she comes". She lived a long and happy life, always seeing the glass half-full, and figured she'd be "driving six white horses" into Heaven where her old boyfriends would "all go out to greet her" with martinis in hand.

Friends are invited to celebrate this past life of Betty and wish her well on her next adventure on Thursday July 10th from 4-6 at her daughter's home in Old Metairie, steps from where she lived and played as a child.