Willis Avery Wood

Willis Avery Wood
August 6, 1921 - January 17, 2021
Poway
Willis Wood, Microbiologist and Professor of Biochemistry, dies at age 99.Willis Avery Wood passed away on January 17, 2021, from pneumonia following a broken hip replacement operation. Willis was born in Johnson City, New York, on August 6, 1921, to Mildred L. (Baker) and William A. Wood. He graduated from Binghamton, NY, North High School. He married Alice Jane Spencer of Nimmonsburg, NY, in 1947 and shared family life with her until her death in 1975. He is survived by his son, William I. Wood of Cupertino, CA, and, daughters Suzanne M. Spencer-Wood of Rochester Hills MI, and Charlotte E. Lott, of Pittsburgh, PA. He is also survived by grandchildren, Jeremiah Lott, Hannah (Lott) Salisbury, Nathan Lott, and Miriam (Lott) Costa, and great-grandchildren, Alexander Lott, Isaac Lott, Nolan Salisbury, and Maxwell Costa.Willis was an Eagle Scout growing up and First Lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps during WW II. He obtained a BS degree in Bacteriology from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Indiana University. Willis was a faculty member in the Dairy Science Department, University of Illinois (1950-1958), and Professor of Biochemistry and later Department Chairman Department of Biochemistry, Michigan State University (1958-1982). His laboratory was the research site for many undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and visiting scientists. Willis' research was on enzymes of bacteria and metabolism of sugars and amino acids.Professor Wood received the Eli Lilly Award in Bacteriology, the Distinguished Faculty Award of Michigan State University, and was voted Honorary Member in the American Society for Microbiology. He was elected President of the Society in 1980. Willis was co-inventor and Director of Gilford Instrument Laboratories, Oberlin OH. Later, he was a founder and first President of Neogen Corporation, Lansing, MI. At age 60, Willis was appointed Director of Microbiology at the Salk Institute Biotechnology Industrial Associates, La Jolla, CA, (1982-1990), and then Principal Scientist and Vice President of The Agouron Institute of San Diego and Pasadena, CA, (1990-2019).In 1976, Willis married Hazel Katherine (Kitty) (Reiten) LeGrand of Iron Mountain, MI. Their social life centered around friends in Lansing, the neighbors in Cardiff CA, and the Bernardo Heights Country Club (Rancho Bernardo CA), until her death in 2012. Willis has since resided at Westmont Town Court, Escondido, CA. With the busy activity of scientific career development, Willis has realized and is thankful for the gentle and humane dimension provided by Alice Jane and their children, and Kitty with their lifestyle of countless friends. As his autobiography is titled: It was The Best of Times! Please sign the guest book online at legacy.com/obituaries/ pomeradonews