John & Resia Wood

April 1, 1961 - August 9, 2014

John Wood, 53, was born in West Branch, MI to William and Kaye (Mortenson) Wood. On August 9, 2014 his small plane crashed in a field in Iowa killing both himself and his wife, Resia Wood. He grew up in West Branch. He graduated from Ogemaw Heights High School where he played football and ran track. He attended Michigan State University and then continued on to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida where he obtained a bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Engineering. He went on to earn his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University. His Air Force career included stops at Wright Patterson AFB, OH, Eglin AFB, FL and as a Mechanical Engineering professor at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He was very active in ultimate frisbee, coaching soccer, football and T-Ball. He loved mountain biking, skiing and snowboarding, riding his motorcycle, and flying his small plane. Family was very important to John and he rarely missed an opportunity to spend time with his kids, brothers, sister and parents. Family reunions provided endless highlight reel material, to include Caribbean cruises, and get-togethers in Michigan, Colorado and Mexico. Motorcycle trips with his siblings happened at least every other year, taking them through the Colorado Rockies and Yellowstone. He was counting the days until the next motorcycle trip, planned for summer 2015, which will feature a Lake Superior Circle Tour. The motorcycle trips were a highlight, starting with the siblings and ending with many family and friends who rode along, and were summed up with one word: Epic!

Recently John took up flying and bought a plane with a friend. Along with his wife, Resia, he flew to Arizona and Wyoming. Returning from Michigan, thus ending their earthly adventures, God chose to call them home.

John was preceded in death by a brother, Jim; and his dad, William; as well as grandparents and numerous aunts and uncles.

He is survived by his kids, Dan, Josh, Kevin, Lisa and Ethan; mother, Kaye; 3 brothers, Bill (Helen) of Eagle River, AK, Mike (Yunmi) of Los Angeles, CA, Hua Uy of San Diego, CA; and one sister, Terrye (Dean Kinch) of West Branch, MI; and many nieces and nephews, Connie, Karie, Kayla, Dani, Bill, Alexandra, Erin, Samm, Gavin, Faith, Hannah, Thorin, Chloe, and Dalton.

John was a great friend to many, a favorite among the Air Force Academy Instructors, and an awesome brother, father, son and uncle. He will be sadly missed.

Services will be held at the Air Force Academy Chapel, on Friday, August 15, 2014 at 12:30 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to help his kids finish college. Please send to: Air Academy Federal Credit Union, 9810 N Union Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80924. Mark for: Wood Family Memorial Fund

Resia Lynn (Cook) Wood

Nov 30, 1962 – Aug 09, 2014

Resia L. Wood, 51, was born on Nov 30, 1962 in Xenia, Ohio to Gary and B. Delores (Porter) Cook. She married John J. Wood on Dec 9, 1995.

On Aug 9, 2014, Resia and John lost their lives in their single-engine, private plane in Iowa. She grew up in Xenia, Ohio and graduated from Xenia High School in 1981 where she played basketball and volleyball; she was loved by all. God, family, and friends were the focus of her life. Raising and watching the children grow and become successful made her very proud. Resia and John took joy in opening their home to many new cadets on a regular basis. She loved traveling, outdoor activities, family get-togethers, and the special time with her father when he came to Colorado to visit every year.

She attended Wright State University where she participated in the ROTC program. She moved to Colorado and finished her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Phoenix. She continued her education working to obtain her Master’s degree.

While still in Ohio, she worked in the F-22 SPO at the Wright Patterson AFB. She then moved to Colorado where she joined the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), working as a Contracting Administrator in the Contract Management Office (CMO) in 1995. In May, 2006, she was promoted to a Contract Specialist at Peterson AFB to support the Cheyenne Mountain Contract. Later, she obtained her Warrant and was promoted to Contracting Officer where she oversaw all support for the Cheyenne Mountain Nuclear Command and Control Systems. Following her tour at PAFB, she was promoted and became a Contracting Officer at Schriever AFB and obtained her second Warrant under the Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center (MDIOC). She supported the Missile Defense Space Tracking Surveillance System (STSS) and also the Near Field InfraRed Experiments (NFIRE) and the Joint National Integration Center Research and Development Contract (JRDC). During her MDA/DAC (J) time, she earned a Certificate of Appreciation for her efforts.

She is preceded in death by her mother, B. Delores Cook; grandparents, Lee and Margarete Porter, John Cook; and an uncle, Michael Cook.

She is survived by her son, Ethan; stepchildren, Dan, Josh, Kevin, and Lisa Wood, who she loved as her own; father, Gary Cook; three sisters, Tammy (Kevin) Shanesy, Tina Collier, Bobbi (Dave) Brown; nieces and nephews, Brian, Rebekah, Heather, Benjamin, Ross, Dustin, Bret, Jessica, LizziBeth; grandmother, Ester Cook; and many other aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Resia had a distinguished 33-year career in Government Service with her service-before-self attitude, outstanding technical knowledge, love of family, sense of humor, and infectious smile.