Dr. Cary E. Wood, 90, of Glenford
SEPT. 14, 1928 - JULY 14, 2019
GLENFORD >> Dr. Cary Eugene Wood, a retired superintendent in the Ellenville Central School District who was long active in community, church, and mission activities, died at Kingston Hospital on Sunday, July 14, 2019. He was 90.
A resident of Glenford since 1988, Dr. Wood worked for five years in teaching mathematics at the North Syracuse High School and piano lessons privately, and many years as an administrator in New York State at the Springfield Central School, Scotia-Glenville Central School, Albany County and Ulster County BOCES, Ellenville Central School, and New Paltz Central School. In retirement, he served as principal of the Richfield Springs Christian School for four years.
Dr. Wood received his bachelor’s degree from Houghton (N.Y.) College in 1950, a master’s degree from Teachers College of Columbia University in 1951, and a doctorate from Syracuse University in 1958. He also received another master’s degree from Berea College in Wichita, Kansas, in 1979.
He has served churches in various communities during his adult lifetime as a deacon, elder, Sunday School teacher and superintendent, musician, chairman of Christian Education, finance committee chair, and lay speaker. He coordinated the creation of the Schenectady Christian School some 50 years ago. Dr. Wood was a member of the Reservoir UMC in Shokan.
In community service, he served as a leader in the Syracuse Gideons, the Christian Home League in upstate New York, the ScotiaGlenville YMCA, Scripture Union in the United States, the Scotia Kiwanis Club, the Ellenville Noonday Club, and Wycliffe Associates of the Hudson Valley. In Central Hudson regional school activities, he served as president of Phi Delta Kappa and as a member for many years. Other school organizations of which he served included the American Association of School Administrators, the National Education Association, and the New York Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. He was elected to Who’s Who in American Education in 196364.
Born on Sept. 14, 1928, in Holland, N.Y., he was the son of the late R. Stanley and Neva B. Wood. He enjoyed the outdoors and was an avid fisherman and hunter throughout his life. He also liked to travel, including to many foreign countries, and enjoyed camping with his family. Dr. Wood read much, kept a daily journal, and enjoyed classical music and writing, including his autobiography for his children and other relatives.
On Aug. 31, 1950, he married Mary Holzman of Patterson, N.J., with whom he raised eight children. They were divorced in 1983 and Dr. Wood married Carol Davis Larsen of Glenford in 1988. She survives him at home.
Also surviving are two sisters, Alice Clark of Lompoc, Calif., and Mary Gamble of Albany, N.Y.;, and a brother, Edwin Wood of Incline Village, Nev. Surviving children are Stanley Wood of Bellaire Bluffs, Fla.; Barbara (Joseph) Hanofee of Wilbraham, Mass.; Adrienne (Leonidas) Vlamis of New Paltz, N.Y.; Rudolph Wood (Sharon Kennedy) of Newburgh, N.Y.; Ellen (Robert) Newhard of LaGrangeville, N.Y.; Melinda (Richard) Wright of Atkinson, N.H.; and Cassandra Kovacs of Saugerties, N.Y. A son, Daniel, died in 1989. Twenty-three grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren survive.
Calling hours are Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Lasher Funeral Home, 100 Tinker St., Woodstock.
A service of celebration and remembrance will take place at Reservoir United Methodist Church in Shokan, N.Y., at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 20. Burial will be in Tongore Cemetery in Olivebridge.
The family would like to thank Emily Tackas, Emeline Hemsley and Matthew Johnson for their excellent care.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Wycliffe.org in honor of Cary’s support of their Bible translation work.