Evelyn Martin "Eve" Wood

1937 - 2023

WOOD - Evelyn "Eve" Martin Wood passed away June 21, 2023, at her home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Born Sept. 1, 1937, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Beulah and Howard Martin, she came to Oak Ridge, Tenn., with her family in 1944 when her father was recruited by the Manhattan Project. While at Oak Ridge High School, she was a member of the varsity cheerleading squad. She attended the University of Tennessee, graduating in 1959 with a Bachelor of Science degree in education.
After graduation, Eve chose to expand her horizons, and she became an airline stewardess with Delta Airlines. She loved to tell stories about how interesting and exciting it was to be the only stewardess on a DC3 in the late 1950s.
In 1960, she resigned from Delta and married Tom Wood, whom she met when both were students at the University of Tennessee. While Tom finished his studies, Eve worked for The Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In late 1961, the couple moved to Atlanta, and in 1963, the first of two daughters was born. For the next 23 years, Eve ran a complex household, raised two daughters and enjoyed team tennis. In 1983, she and Tom moved to Ponte Vedra Beach, where she joined the family's newspaper company and put her effort into converting obsolete manual subscription records to modern computer files.
Eve never missed an opportunity to support her grandchildren. She especially loved attending their sporting events, school plays and concerts. An avid Jaguars fan, Eve enjoyed season tickets for 25 years. She loved sharing a game day experience with her grandchildren and with other family members.
A family home in Highlands, N.C., became a favorite vacation spot, as Eve never outgrew her love of the mountains.
She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Tom Wood; daughters, Jennifer Wise (Philip), Karen Stepp (Stephen); and four grandchildren, Daniel Wise, Rachel Wise, Hunter Stepp and Devon Stepp.
A memorial service was 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 28, at Palms Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville Beach. A reception followed at Ponte Vedra Inn and Club.
Quinn-Shalz Family Funeral Home in Jacksonville Beach is in charge of arrangements.