MARY ELIZABETH WOOD

Wood, Mary Elizabeth (McLaughlin), died of natural causes at age 86 on Friday, Sept 3 in Orange, CA. Born in Analaska, WA on January 18, 1924, and raised in Seattle, Mary was the daughter of Arthur and Lila (Forbes) McLaughlin. On January 1, 1944, she married Olen P. Wood in Oakland, CA. At the close of WWII, Mary and Olen made their home in California, where they raised 3 daughters. She played piano and accordion and served as navigator to her private pilot husband. She retired in 1984 after 25 years of fulfilling service with Pacific Telephone in Los Angeles. Mary and Olen spent their post-retirement years in Big Bear City, CA and Nampa, ID. Mary returned to California after Olen's death in 2007. She is survived by two daughters, Joanne O'Connell and her husband Brian of Irvine, CA and Lynn Velkov and her husband Pyotr of Marina, CA; four grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and her sister, Jenny Johnson of Caldwell, ID. She was preceded in death by her husband, a brother, a daughter, and a granddaughter. The family wishes to extend sincere thanks to the entire staff of It's Just Like Home Board & Care and to the staff and volunteers of Silverado Hospice for their extraordinary kindness. A private memorial will be observed in Big Bear, CA. Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity United Presbyterian Church, 13922 Prospect Ave, Santa Ana, CA 92705; First United Presbyterian Church, 400 Lake Lowell Ave, Nampa, ID, 83686; and/or Susan G. Komen for the Cure.