Walter S. Wood, MD, US Army Air Corp Veteran, WWII of Hinsdale, IL, age 93, died on February 23, 2017. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Mary,(nee Mangini) his daughter Judith (John), son Wallace, daughter, Edith, grandsons Walter, Justin and Chase, his brother John and sister Lynn (Dizard), as well as many nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Esther (nee Chase), brother William, sister Anna (Rice) and sister, Julia. Walter was born on the family farm outside Gettysburg, PA on May 9, 1923. He grew up in Pennsylvania and New York. He served in the Army Air Corp, 868 Bomb Squadron 13th Bomber Command from 1943-1945, including in the South Pacific from December, 1944-August, 1945. He received the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal with 5 Bronze Stars for his service. After serving in the Army Air Corp, Walter graduated from Columbia University. It was there he chose his passion for medicine as the best vehicle for becoming involved in the community. He graduated in 1951 from the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. Prior to graduating, while moonlighting as a lab tech at New York Methodist Hospital, he met his future wife, Mary Mangini, a nurse. Dr. Wood continued with his Medical Residency at the Research and Education Hospital at the University of Illinois, Chicago. He served as Chief Resident there from 1955-1956. In 1958, he became the Director of Infectious Disease at Cook County Hospital. While there, his passion for medicine extended into teaching. Dr. Wood's career had always been driven by a belief that medical care was a right, rather than a privilege. He was a champion of the underserved and founder of the original Maywood Clinic in 1970. He was a community activist and a member of the original group that founded Access to Care. For the next 30 years, Dr. Wood continued his career path at Loyola University Medical Center and the Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood. He served as Chief of Infectious Diseases and chaired the Department of Public Health, which he subsequently named the Department of Community and Family Medicine. He also served as Chief Consultant, Infectious Disease at Hines VA Hospital. Many of Dr. Wood's patients were elderly. He was known as a physician who listened to their concerns. In 1976, he became the medical consultant to the Southwest Suburban Center on Aging. It was there he joined forces with his wife to serve the outpatient needs of the local geriatric population. To his colleagues, Dr. Wood was an extremely intelligent and challenging physician who stimulated their thinking. To his students, he was an animated teacher and storyteller, intertwining anecdotes from his own life with facts from medical textbooks to help them understand a diagnosis. He was a member of numerous medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, Alpha Omega Alpha, The Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine, to name a few. He was an accomplished researcher and writer having countless articles published throughout his career. In 1990, Dr. Wood was awarded The Stritch Medal, the highest honor bestowed on a Loyola physican for their dedication and achievements. Although a brilliant physician, he always credited his wife for every accomplishment. Walter was a devoted Christian and a member of the Union Church of Hinsdale for over 50 years. He was involved with various groups, including the Men's Club. His passions included attending the Lyric Opera in Chicago and Hinsdale Chapter of the Lyric Opera festivities with his wife, as well as the West Suburban Symphony Orchestra. Walter was an avid pheasant hunter and enjoyed outings with his beloved English Springer Spaniels. In the last of his years, he enjoyed afternoon outings to Hidden Lake Forest preserve with his family. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 25, 11am at the Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S. Garfield Street, Hinsdale. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Stritch School of Medicine, Office of Advancement, 2160 South First Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153 and/or The Union Church of Hinsdale.
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4 Entries
Our thoughts and prayers are with your entire family during this trying time. We only started to get to know Walter over the past couple of years, but we loved visiting with the triplets. He was always a bundle of joy and enthusiasm. We could instantly tell that he was a smart, caring, and generous man. I will do my best to carry on his legacy of caring for older adults.
Kevin Bacigalupo
March 27, 2017
On behalf of Aging Care Connections (formerly Southwest Suburban Center on Aging), our deepest condolences to Mary and family. Dr. Wood and Mary are an important part of our agency's history. We will always hold fond remembrances of Walter and the start of our health clinic for older adults onsite at the senior center. Dr. Wood was ahead of his time when it came to geriatric medicine and how to provide health care to older adults. We thank you for all your contributions to the field of aging and community medicine.
Debra Verschelde
Coworker
March 27, 2017
Our deepest condolences to Mary and all the family. We will miss him dearly. He was truly an enthusiastic teacher to all Loyolans, a wonderful human being, a good friend.
Ketty and Shyamala Badrinath
March 10, 2017
My condolences to the family on the passing of Dr. Wood. He was a dynamic and enthusiastic teacher.
Dr. Bill Walsh Stritch School of Medicine class of 1968
Bill Walsh
March 6, 2017
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