Robert C. “Woody” Wood, a devoted family man and proud veteran, passed away peacefully on September 21, 2024, in Venice, Florida. Woody was a resident of Venice and Ogunquit, Maine, and formerly of Sudbury and Waltham, Massachusetts.
Woody was born and raised in Waltham, the youngest of six siblings. His extraordinary life journey began when he met his future wife, Cheryl Schools, in the nursery at Waltham Hospital, where she was born just three days earlier. After attending Waltham High School, Woody left to serve his country in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1965. He served proudly with the Combat Air Crew in Guam and later in Vietnam, where he earned several medals and service awards before leaving as a Lance Corporal.
After his military service, Woody dedicated over 30 years to the Waltham Fire Department, where he retired as Captain of Ladder 2. In 1988, he moved his family from Waltham to Sudbury to the home he built himself. He later founded Sudbury Garage Door, building a successful business with the same work ethic he carried throughout his life.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Woody and Cheryl enjoyed traveling with their children in their RV, often attending their sons’ hockey games and taking family vacations. Later, they split their time between their homes in Ogunquit, Maine, and Venice, Florida, enjoying their retirement years. Woody found immense joy in spending time with his grandchildren and was fortunate to travel with Cheryl to Alaska and Italy.
Woody was known for his ability to fix anything, spending countless hours tinkering in his garage and soaking up the sunshine. A proud member of the Combat Veteran Motorcycle Association, he rode his Harley and Indian motorcycles with fellow veterans and participated in Rolling Thunder, riding across the country with his friends, including his Vietnam comrade, Fat Hatch.
Preceded in death by his parents, Roy Grant and Edith Wood, Woody is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Cheryl (Schools) Wood, and their four children: Glenna and her late husband, Michael Arato, of Miller Place, NY; Douglas and Melissa Wood of Wayland, MA; Corrie and Ian MacLean of Stow, MA; and Stephen and Kathryn Wood of Canton, MA. Woody was the beloved “Grumpy” to 13 grandchildren: Robert John, Kayleigh, and Ashleigh Voos; Dylan and Griffin Wood; Brayden, Quinn, Keagan, and Nolan MacLean; and Austyn, Hadley, Gabriella, and Andrew Wood.
Woody is also survived by his oldest brother, Richard Wood, and his wife Mary of Port Orange, FL; David Wood, predeceased but survived by his wife Anne of Londonderry, NH; Janyce and Norm Williamson of Duxbury, MA; Evelyn Wood of Duxbury, MA; and Doris King and her husband Alan of Acton, MA, as well as many nieces, nephews, and extended family members.
Friends and family are invited to gather in Woody’s memory on Saturday, October 5, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Mary Catherine Chapel of Brasco & Sons Memorial Chapels, 773 Moody Street, Waltham. A Memorial Service will follow at 12:00 noon, with interment at Mt. Feake Cemetery, where Woody will be honored with U.S. Marine Corps Funeral Honors for his faithful service. Parking attendants will be available.
