Joseph Scott Wood

Joseph Scott Wood... Son, Grandson, Brother, Nephew, Cousin, Friend...Born December 31, 1946...Died April 28, 2017...Scott was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and lived and grew up in Palestine, Arkansas. He attended Palestine High School and was a pretty good scrappy basketball player for the Palestine Red Devils. Scott and his Mom, Dad, brother and sister all enjoyed their passion of sports especially basketball. Scott was and has always been an Arkansas Razorback Fan. Scott graduated Palestine High School in the summer of 1964 and enlisted in the United States Air Force.

Private Joseph Scott Wood...Soldier, Friend, Veteran...Scott trained and then served his first duty assignment of 4 years in Viet Nam and Thailand from 8/04/1964 to 7/28/1968. Scott was honorably discharged and returned to Palestine, Arkansas. He worked at the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company.

US Air Force Retired Msgt Joseph Scott Wood...Soldier, Friend, Husband, Father, Uncle, Grandfather, Great Grandfather, Christian, Deacon, Veteran. Scott met his future wife Linda Diane Halsey who was working as a long distance operator at the same Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. They met in February of 1969 and fell in love and decided to get married that summer. Scott decided to re- enter the Air Force and did so on 7/27/1969 before he lost time served and stripes that he had earned previously. Scott and Linda married on October 11, 1969 in Dumas, Arkansas. They honeymooned down the hurricane Camille ravaged coastline on their way to Scott's first assignment at Hurlburt Field AFB in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. They would live in Pensacola, Florida as Linda still worked for Bell Telephone. Scott would commute to Hurlburt Field AFB every day.

Scott's first child, Tanya Lyn Wood was born on July 1, 1970 in Dumas, Arkansas. Scott was a sports nut through and through and he wanted his children to be born in Arkansas and be true Arkansas Razorback fans as Tanya did become. Scott's second child, Joseph Scott Wood, Jr was born on 11/21/1971 also in Dumas, Arkansas and he, like his father and sister, is a true Arkansas Razorback fan. Scott continued to work and live on Hurlburt Field AFB and Eglin AFB the larger base also in Fort Walton Beach, Florida until November/December of 1972.

Scott received his next assignment to Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. Linda and children would join him there in January/February 1973. Scott continued to enjoy his passion of sports by playing basketball, refereeing games and coaching a midget soccer team that his son played on. Scott and family truly enjoyed their assignment in England. Scott went from Staff Sargeant to Tech Sargeant in the 5 years at RAF Lakenheath. Scott and family left England in August of 1977.

Scott's next assignment was to Holloman AFB outside Alamagordo, New Mexico for the next 2 years. There was a lot of white sand and barren land around Holloman AFB and the town Alamagordo so Scott would take the family on a day trip at least once a month up to the mountains to the quaint little town of Cloudcroft. There we would enjoy ice cream, cooler fresh air and green trees. Scott continued to enjoy being a player, a referee and a coach.

Scott volunteered to go on a remote assignment as he was due one and he wanted to pick where he would go rather than the Air Force so he chose a year in the Artic Circle on the Dew Line as an inspector/assessor of the Bases contained there. His year on the Dew Line at the Artic Circle saw months of darkness and then months of light. Scott told of the ropes between the buildings used in snowstorm white outs to get from building to building and oh those many polar bear watches they endured with racing heartbeats. Scott who was not a seasoned flyer told of the small planes that were used to get from base to base on the Dew Line. The pilots were very well seasoned and well trained. Scott told of one time in the worst of windy storms the pilot took off across the runway NOT down the runway as usual. Scott also told of the pilot and co-pilot betting that they could fly between 2 ice bergs and well they did that as well. Scott said one good positive thing was they had chefs who fed them very well and that he came to love baked Alaska.

Next Scott was stationed at McChord Air Force Base outside Tacoma, Washington. Scott was also promoted to the rank of Master Sargeant shortly after arriving at McChord AFB. Scott became a baptized Christian at the Lakeview church of Christ within his first year at McChord AFB and began an immediate love of sharing God's Word. Scott quickly became a Deacon at the Lakeview church of Christ as well. Scott would visit Eastern Washington in Spokane, Washington with a preacher friend at Northside Church of Christ and became determined to become a minister, preacher and teacher of God's Word. Scott retired from McChord AFB after 20 years in the Air Force in July of 1985.

Scott and family then returned to Arkansas for the month of August and then entered White's Ferry Road School of Biblical Studies in West Monroe, Louisiana in September 1985. During his 2 years of study Scott would preach and teach in different congregations around Arkansas. On one occasion preaching in Forrest City about 9 miles from his small hometown of Palestine he packed the house. People he grew up with or knew him came to see if it was the real Scott Wood preaching God's Word from the pulpit . This is funny because Scott was sort of the rebel rouser of Palestine, Arkansas where the population was only around 700. Scott graduated from the intense 2 year school in June 1987.

Scott and the family packed up and drove back up to Spokane, Washington where Scott was to work with the Northside church of Christ and then plant a new church on the South Hill area of Spokane, Washington. The South Spokane church of Christ was planted and after a few years Scott went back to Northside to preach and teach. Scott attended Spokane Community College taking courses in psychology and counseling. He had a unique encounter and relationship with one teacher in particular. Dr. Vandenburg loved to have Scott give his opinion on what was being discussed in class and enjoyed what Scott had to say. The uniqueness was that Dr. Vandenburg was an atheist. Scott was pleasantly surprised one night when he looked out from the pulpit at Northside church of Christ as he began his sermon and there in the back row was Dr. Vandenburg who had come to hear him preach and teach from the pulpit. Tanya also took the same courses with the same Dr. Vandenburg and upon learning that Scott was her dad he said to her one day like father like daughter.

Scott then started working in August 2005 at the Veteran's Administration Medical Center as a budget analyst. Scott retired from the VAMC in 2009.

Scott then just simply retired...and loved living it!!! Scott also had a little "big red" pride and joy. Big red referring to Big Red Razorback Hogs! It was his 2001 Red Chevy S-10 Extended cab pick-up truck with the red canopy on the back. He loved driving it around on his errands wearing his Arkansas Razorback cap and in the winter wearing his Air Force Artic-issue field jacket. This picture pretty much summed up his retirement and I say again...he loved driving it, wearing it and living it!!!

Scott is survived by his wife Linda Diane Wood, daughter Tanya Lyn Wood McCormick (Bob), son Joseph Scott Wood, Jr, granddaughter Shaina Marie Hutchings, granddaughter Lindsie Nicole Hutchings, grandson Breyden Christopher Wood, granddaughter Kinzley Diane Keiko Wood, grandson Mason Wood, great granddaughter Chloe Nicole Demarius Bennett, great grandson Aiden James William Bennett, great grandson Brad William Hutchings, Great granddaughter Melanie Marie Hutchings, brother Jerry Thomas Wood (Laurie), nephew Tyler Wood, sister Cynthia Jorene Wood Fortenberry, neice Brandy Fortenberry Yarbrough (Landon), great neice Hannah Yarbrough, great neice Claire Yarbrough, neice Camille Fortenberry Smith, great niece Erin Smith, aunt Shirley Jean Rounsavall Jones, aunt Gladys Rounsavall and numerous loved cousins.

Scott is preceeded in death by mother-in-law Patsy Ruth Atkinson Yarnell, father-in-law Richard DuBois Yarnell, grandson Heath William Hutchings age 10, mother Quita Jorene Rounsavall Wood, father Wilbur Scott Wood, grandmother Evelyn Letha Rounsavall, grandfather William Dudley Rounsavall, grandmother Minnie Lou Wood , grandfather William Joe Wood, uncle James Harold Wood, aunt Mamie Nell Wood Guthrie, uncle Leland Wood, uncle Lucian Wood, uncle Norman Dudley Rounsavall, brother-in-law Mike Fortenberry and many loved cousins.

Scott made The Great Commission a priority in his life. Matthew 28: 18-20 where Jesus tells his disciples...all authority in heaven and on earth have been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold I am with you always, to the end of the age. Scott found great joy in being a disciple and sharing his views on discipleship. Scott loved preaching, teaching and yes in his latter days, facebooking God's Word, the Gospel, the Good News and how hearing, reading and listening to God's Word could change one's life forever. Scott would tell you that in your belief, faith and baptism in Jesus you can receive the gift of grace and salvation because Jesus went to the cross for your sins and you can be a new person walking in the light of Jesus heaven bound. Scott would say God loves each of you and wants a relationship with His creation. God gave up a part of His Diety (John1:1) becoming God in the flesh, Jesus the Son and walking this earth in perfection to be our sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Sins that we all have and will continue to commit but through our baptism God views our sins through the blood of Jesus like windshield wipers continually keeping us clean , new and heaven bound. Scott would invite you to get to know God, Jesus and the working of the Holy Spirit through reading, studying and listening to the Bible, God's Word and find you a church, a preacher, a teacher of God's Word that can help you to come to know the instructions of salvation ...the hearing, reading, listening, the believing, the faith, the repenting of the old way to receive the new way through confessing that Jesus is the son of God, God in the flesh, God's Word and that you want Jesus to be Lord of your life...teaching that baptism is a public outward confession for you to show your desire and faith of making Jesus Lord of your life to be buried, immersed in the waters of baptism to come up from that watery grave to be resurrected into a new person living a new way of life and how then receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit will work in your life to help keep you heaven bound. Scott would also say to you that in your study, worship and being taught that you listen to God's Word first and last and then to your own understanding and your searching heart always in your decisions. Scott would wish each of you love, grace and peace...

Scott Wood the Arkansas Razorback Fan would want to leave all of you with his favorite earthly words.....

Wooooooooooooooooooo...Pig...Soooooie!!!

Wooooooooooooooooooo...Pig...Soooooie!!!

Wooooooooooooooooooo...Pig...Soooooie!!! Razorbacks!!!!!

Peace...