James Wood

Nov. 19, 1931 - Sep. 21, 2017 Jim Wood passed into the arms of Jesus the evening of September 21, 2017 with his loving wife at his side, in Stanwood, WA. Jim was dearly loved and we will miss him terribly. He is free from pain and suffering now and is teasing the angels. Jim was born November 19, 1931 to Earl Calvin and Ethel Violet (Mills) Wood, in Wenatchee, WA. They lived in Osborn, WA near Grand Coulee Dam and in Carlton, WA in the Methow Valley, while his father worked on building the Grand Coulee Dam. Jim, as a young boy, remembered seeing President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, when he visited Grand Coulee Dam. In the mid-1930's the family moved to the Puget Sound area. They lived in Seattle for a time and then moved to the Kackman Road in Arlington, WA. Jim attended Arlington schools, graduating with the class of 1951. He served in the US Navy and was stationed at Adak and Attu, Alaska from 1952 to 1954, during the Korean War. He received the National Defense Service Medal. Jim married the love of his life, Barbara Jane Brendemuhl on June 12, 1958, and they were happily married for over 59 years. Their marriage was filled with the love of family and friends. They enjoyed many years of world and U.S. traveling, visiting all but three world continents. Jim's favorite travel memory was standing on the Great Wall of China. He worked for the US Forest Service, was one of the early loggers on the Pilchuck Tree Farm (1955 to 1967) and retired from Snohomish County Road District #1 after 28 years. Jim was a volunteer firefighter for 28 years with Snohomish County Fire Protection District #18 (Bryant), and was a founding charter member. Jim was active with Boy Scout Troop 29 in Arlington for many years, enjoying activities with his sons. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, hiking and tinkering in his shop with VW bugs, hit and miss gas engines, old tractors and old clocks. Four years ago, Jim and Barbara traded their Bryant home for a house in town, across the street from their daughter and her family, where he spent many enjoyable hours. Jim went on many outings with the Thomas family to attend antique tractor and farm machinery shows. Jim leaves behind his loving wife, Barbara; son, Steven (Maryanne); son, Brent (Penny); and daughter, Lynda (Michael) Thomas; grandchildren, Andrea (Sean), Phillip, Eric, Devon, Brittany and Melanie (Kyle); great-grandchildren, Liev, Harper, Eli, and Paisley; close friends, Scott and Bernice Stensen; cousins, Ron (Nellie) Mills, Don (Joyce) Mills, and Lorraine Lewis; brother-in-law, Leonard Shipley; special nephews, Darryl (Sharon) Tabbert and Randy (Maryanne) Wood; and numerous other extended family and friends. Preceding Jim in death were his parents, Earl and Ethel; and siblings, Patricia (Leonard) Shipley of Arlington, WA, Virginia (Samuel) Tabbert of Gallatin, Tennessee and Vale (Beulah) Wood of Benton, Arkansas. The family wishes to thank Dr. Mark Lucianna and his staff, the staff at Josephine Sunset Home, and Hospice of the NW for their loving care of Jim. We also wish to thank Bill and Lynn Rich. We can't thank all of you enough for the love you showed him. Please join us for a celebration of Jim's life on Saturday, October 28, 2017 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Loyal Heights Community Hall in Bryant. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Loyal Heights Cemetery Association, or the Loyal Heights Community Club. Arrangements under the direction of Gilbertson Funeral Home, Stanwood.