Lyman Richard "Woody" Wood

Lyman Richard “Woody” Wood, 84, a resident of Cleveland, passed away Saturday, August 21, 2021.  Surrounded by his three children he went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He was active in the church community his entire life as a member of Gorham Baptist Church in Gorham, NY, First Alliance Church in Chattanooga, TN where he and his wife Marty served as youth directors in the 1960s, Lebanon Interdenominational Church in southwest Bradley County, and Living Word Fellowship in Chattanooga where he continued teaching Sunday School through June 2021.

He was born in Mansfield, PA in 1936 and grew up in Gorham, NY. After graduating from Gorham Central High School he attended Houghton College in Houghton, NY where he majored in History Education and Bible.  There he participated in athletics and met the love of his life Marty Cronk.  Known as “the Campbell Kids” while dating, the couple married in 1958 and began their careers as teachers in New York.  He then attended Geneseo State University and earned a Masters of Education.  Marty and Woody lived in East Bloomfield and Gorham, NY before moving to Chattanooga, TN in 1963, and later to Cleveland, TN in 1971.

Woody had a long career as a social studies teacher in public schools teaching at Bloomfield and Gorham Central High School in western New York, and Tyner Middle School in Chattanooga.  His longest service was at Bradley Central High School in Cleveland where he began teaching in 1977 and retired in 1998.   Along with his teaching assignments he also served as a coach and mentor – sponsoring Key Club, and coaching baseball, basketball, and soccer.  He was loved and respected by students, teachers, players, and principals alike.

Among many hobbies he was passionate about baseball, tennis, racquetball, biking, gardening, and yard work.   He was a member of the Chattanooga Tennis Association and YMCA and competed regularly in regional and national senior-league tennis tournaments.  He spent most of his time after retirement actively involved in the lives of his 3 children and 8 grandchildren. He was known to be seen at every, soccer, baseball, tennis, football, basketball, lacrosse, theatre, ballet, and cheer leading activity in addition to every school event involving any of his grandchildren.

He was preceded in death and his wife of 54 years Martha H. “Marty” Wood and by his parents, Lyman R. Wood Sr. and Edith Wilcox Wood.

Survivors include his sister Marilyn Welton and brother-in-law Lloyd Welton of Harrison, TN, his daughter Colleen Wood Peach and son-in-law Brian Peach of Marietta, GA, his son Randy and daughter-in-law Audri Wood of Cleveland, and his son Rick Wood and daughter-in-law Missy Wood of Chattanooga; 8 grandchildren, Jacob Peach, Sarah Peach, Calvin Wood and his wife April Wood, David Wood, Emma Wood, Abigail Wood, George Wood, and Mary Wood; and two nephews.

The Celebration of Life Service will be conducted at 2 p.m., Sunday, August 29, 2021 in the chapel of Ralph Buckner Funeral Home with the Reverend Matt Hall officiating. Interment will follow in Laurel Hill-Lebanon Cemetery.  A White Dove Release Ceremony will conclude the service.  The family will receive friends from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, August 28, 2021 and from 1:00-2:00 at Ralph Buckner Funeral Home.  In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Cleveland Bradley Public Education Foundation.

We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the Wood family guestbook at www.ralphbuckner.com.