William ROOD

1938 - 2025

October 16, 1938 - April 19, 2025

Spokane - William Dwight Rood "Bill", 86, died April 19th, after his battle with Alzheimer's disease. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Barbara Louise; two sons, Daniel Raymond and Michael (Ajahn) William; eight grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Our family was blessed in that Bill remained the kind, loving and caring individual he was before the disease altered his life. Born October 16th, 1938, in Anahuac, Texas, the son of Raymond E. and Marie "Bessie" Rood. As a young child, Bill was placed in an orphanage due to his parents divorcing and their inability to care for him. Three years later, his father retrieved him after marrying Lillian Simmons, and she subsequently adopted him as her own. At age 15, Bill found work on a boys ranch and whether he was stringing up fences or bucking Broncos, he acted as a mentor and protector to the boys residing there. When he turned 17, he joined the Air Force and worked as a Weapons Specialist, loading aircraft with regular and nuclear armaments, as well as participating in national competitions with other units from around the country. While stationed in Spokane to train at Fairchild's survival school before being sent to Spain for nearly three years, he attended the Mount Spokane dance where he met Barbara, and she would often say "She chased him until he caught her" then they were married on Valentines Day, 1958. After returning from Spain, he was stationed at Paine Field Air Force base in Everett, Washington, where his two sons were born at Everett General Hospital. Soon after the birth of his second child, he was relocated and stationed at Keesler Air force base in Biloxi, Mississippi, and bought a house in Ocean Springs within minutes of the Gulf of Mexico, where he realized his love for saltwater fishing. After leaving the military, he remained in Ocean Springs, trying his hand at owning and operating several small businesses and working at Ingles shipyard as an electrician, wiring nuclear submarines. He then enrolled at Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College and graduated with an Associate Degree in nursing in 1973. After Barbara visited with her brother and his family, she dedicated her life to Christianity and felt the Lord's hand leading her to be closer to her family, so, in June of 1975, he moved his family to Spokane. Bill worked at Sacred Heart Hospital in many different areas as a nurse such as ICU, Emergency Room, Heart Flight transport, and as the Inland Northwest Outreach Education Coordinator, where he traveled to hospitals in the outlying region, teaching emergency room nursing skills. Aside from the patients who benefited from his care, Bill continued to share his knowledge and be a mentor to his colleges, always willing to give a helping hand. His actions outside of his professional life were no different as he became a Deacon of his church mentoring and ministering to youth groups and offering any assistance to friends and family, be it physical or financial, with more than one family car being given to someone in need. He loved to read and always had a thirst for knowledge as demonstrated by the many skills he taught himself, cabinetry making, building and flying radio-controlled aircraft, golf, small engine repair, refrigeration/AC repair to name just a few. His love, kindness, and availability will be missed, and the world is a little dimmer without his presence. A celebration of Bill's life will be held 10am, Saturday, May 24th, at the Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church, located at 1118 S. King St., Airway Heights, WA 99001. Attire is casual.