Thomas H. Wood passed away on Sunday, October 7, 2018, from complications of Parkinson’s and Lewy Body Dementia. He was born in Memphis, TN on March 16, 1938, son of Eugene Heber Wood and Evangeline Bland Wood. He spent his childhood years growing up on a farm in Millington, TN. Tom was preceded in death by his parents and brother Eugene Walter Wood of Woodstock, VT. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Melanie Coleman Wood, their children Brandt Thomas Wood and wife Julie of Fayetteville, NC; Amber Wood O’Harrow and husband Sean, of Honolulu, HI; and four grandchildren: Madeline Wood, Garrett Wood, Tristan O’Harrow, and Piers O’Harrow. He leaves two sisters: Carol Ann Mitchell and husband Walter, of Arab, AL and Nancy Lechner of Chesapeake, VA.; a special cousin, Lee Wood Jones and his wife, Juanita; sister-in-law, Carol Wood, as well as numerous and much loved nieces and nephews. Additionally, Tom was “Dad” to four exchange students: Urs Altorfer of Bern, Switzerland, Juliette Pelle of Paris, France, Julia Disson Niccolini of Luzerne, Switzerland, and Diasuke Koh of Japan and New York.
Tom received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tennessee, where he was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity and Phi Eta Sigma Academic Honor Society. After graduation, he was hired by Shell Chemical Corporation in Houston, TX in Logistics and Plant Management. During his 25 year career with Shell, Tom held key management positions with Shell facilities in Houston, TX, Denver, CO, Ventura, CA, and Woodbury, NJ. When the Huntsman Corporation purchased Shell’s New Jersey location, Tom was hired as Huntsman’s Sr. Vice President of Business Development, and ultimately, President of Huntsman Polypropylene Corp. He later became Sr. Vice President of Huntsman International Corporation overseeing the purchase and management of locations worldwide. After retirement, Huntsman recruited Tom to head up a newly purchased Huntsman company in Heidelberg, Germany. He spent a year and a half commuting back and forth to that location, running that company and enjoying the friends and acquaintances he developed while there.
Throughout the years and various locations of his career, Tom excelled in mentoring and guiding the careers of numerous aspiring managers and engineers. He treasured the many letters and accolades from these accomplished people, as they have acknowledged the positive and profound impact he had on their lives and careers. Tom was, in fact, asked by the founder and CEO of Huntsman Corp., John Huntsman Sr., to personally mentor his sons, Peter Huntsman and Jon Huntsman, Jr. This was the career assignment most cherished by Tom. Peter Huntsman is now President and CEO of the Huntsman Corporation, and Jon is currently US Ambassador to Russia.
Tom always held a passion for the United Way, and enjoyed heading up the United Way campaigns in the locations he served, continually reaching record goals of participation and funds.
Tom was an avid golfer and voracious reader. He enjoyed woodworking, hunting and fly fishing, as well as extensive travel with his wife. After many years of being corporate gypsies, Tom and Melanie retired in Knoxville in 2002. He was an elder of Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church, a member of Cherokee Country Club, where he particularly enjoyed the Saturday morning men’s bible study. He proudly served on the board of the Knoxville Opera, and was an avid supporter of the Knoxville Museum of Art and Clarence Brown Theatre.
A private internment will be held at Berry Highland Memorial Park, followed by a celebration of life service on Friday, October 12, 2018 at 2:30 pm at Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church, with Rev. Dr. Bill Barron and Rev. Rachel Hamburger officiating. The receiving of friends will follow in Barron Fellowship Hall. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Tom’s name to the Lewy Body Dementia Association (https://www.lbda.org/donate) or Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church (3700 Keowee Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37919).
Online condolences may be received at the Berry Highland Memorial website (www.berryhighlandmemorial.com).
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