David Austin Wood

Austin is survived by his son Gordon and grandson Nikolas of Seattle, WA, and daughter Elizabeth and husband Jack Bunce, of Ketchum, ID, as well as his grandchildren Austin Nalen-Sprole, of Toronto, CA, and Christopher Nalen of San Francisco, CA.

Austin was predeceased by his dear and beloved first wife, Marie Bennett Wood in 1975, and his son Blake in 2012, and beloved second wife Suzanne Tower Wood in 2023.

Austin graduated Bayside High School in 1945, then served in the U.S. Army, in the Medical Corps in Germany 1945 - 47. He then attended Colgate University, majoring in Social Psychology, graduating in 1951. At Colgate he was a member and President of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, as well as serving as Editor of the "The Banter" humor magazine.

He spent his career in the decorative textiles trade, an industry and field he loved and flourished in for forty-six years, commencing with F. Schumacher & Co., onto Stevens Linen, Cheney Brothers, K&M Fabrics, with the last eighteen years styling, designing, manufacturing, importing, and selling beautiful jacquard textiles as a partner in South-Eastern Fabrics, of Hickory, NC. He was passionate about establishing partnerships, relationships both with the various textile mills in Europe, especially N. Italy and with his customers in the U.S. as converters and jobbers.

Austin’s passion for beauty in nature, arts & crafts along with his creative gifts, abilities, endeavors extended to and embellished many others lives with his skilled craftmanship of woodworking, gardening and homemaking with an intuitive and trained eye and mind. Sailing and cruising was a life-long passion of his, with extensive history of adventures on the water extending from Maine to Florida, Caribbean, and San Juan Islands, WA, Gulf Islands, BC, Canada. When winter arrived and the boats were put to bed for the season, he loved to ski with his family and friends, creating great experiences and memories with all in New England, Utah, New Mexico, Idaho, Colorado and Europe.

Austin was truly a people-person, across generations, countries, states, race and gender. Most of all he loved his family, treasured being a father and grandfather, his friends, always willing to lend a hand and support. He was a spiritual man, one that lived in and with unconditional love, hence he was loved and cherished by many. Austin’s legacy of love, laughter and connection will live on in the hearts and minds of all that knew him and shared his life.