Obituary of Robert Warren Wood

Bob Wood, born September 12,1936, died November 30, 2022. His physical energy was released to the stars from whence he came in the comfort of his own home surrounded by his loving family. We are grateful that he is now free of the many challenges of Alzheimer's that he confronted head-on for 11 years with the assistance of his wife, family, and friends. Bob is survived by his wife of 42 years, Barb. She adored him! They shared an extraordinary connection and were completely devoted to each other. Their lives were filled with so much joy: family camping adventures; trips to Toronto and Disney World; collecting prized pebbles on Cape Cod beaches; dolphin, seal, and whale watches; train rides in the Adirondacks and New Hampshire; visits to Washington, D.C., where he loved hearing Barb play the large Masonic Temple pipe organ; and many concerts, a favorite being one of Neil Diamond's concerts. Bob was overjoyed to share his love of adventure with his grandchildren as they explored museums, nature parks, and bird sanctuaries. His one-after-another perfect skee-ball games were legendary as his thrilled grandchildren eagerly gathered up the tickets he won for them. Three of his favorite activities with the grandkids were creating erupting volcanoes, decorating Christmas cookies made by his daughter, and making gingerbread houses. Bob is also survived by his son Robert (Eve) and daughter Penny (Jesse) Lozano of Texas, son David (Molly) Rochelle of Corning, daughter Kirsten (Mark) Mucci of Horseheads, son Chris Rochelle of Corning, and grandchildren Jessica, Jacob, Abigail, Robbie, Nick, Joey, and Matt. Bob had a passion for life! He filled his days and evenings with meaningful activities of all kinds. His love of playing bass guitar and singing led him to being part of many bands, including Sax Fifth Avenue, Wild Country, and Country Fried. He received the Northeast Country Music Association Male Vocalist and Instrumentalist of the Year Awards the year Country Fried won the Band of the Year Award. He particularly loved that Barb was right beside him as the sound tech of that band and that his sons so enjoyed jamming with him in the comfort of his living room the last few years. Bob enthusiastically and skillfully filled his home with love and special touches. He custom-built kitchen shelves to display seasonal treasures collected on their trips or made by family and friends, with one shelf devoted to many versions of his spirit animal, the owl. He designed and constructed decks, a gazebo, and a waterfall pond filled with colorful koi, bullfrogs, and tadpoles. His yard became a Certified Wildlife Habitat from the National Wildlife Association, an award of which he was immensely proud. Discovering his wife and children's love of miniatures, he filled his shop with miniature-sized tools and built a beach house, a log cabin, a Christmas scene that was displayed at the Arnot Art Museum, an English cottage, a greenhouse, and a country store, all for Barb to fill with miniature furniture she had collected since childhood. After watching his son blow glass at CMOG, Bob thought he'd give it a try. He was always up for a challenge! We treasure the tiny owls and turtle he made! Bob was so proud to have served as Master of the Old Oak Masonic Lodge and of his achieving the 32nd Degree. During his tenure, the Lodge accomplished numerous community-service projects. In his later years, when COVID kept him at home instead of at the YMCA doing Tai Chi and Zumba, Bob enjoyed sharing his love of nature and poetry with Barb and so many wonderful folks on Memory Makers and Dementia Action Alliance Zooms. Then he would relax on the couch surrounded by his loyal dogs and affectionate cats. Bob left Southside High School to join the Air Force during the Korean War, working in guided missiles. He worked for Time Warner Cable as a lineman for 40 years. After working hard to help his children with college expenses, he was so proud to be awarded a high school diploma by the Horseheads School District where his children and grandchildren have attended school. At age 60 in 1996, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York Empire State College with a major in Native American Cultures, and at age 63 in 1999, he earned a Master of Science degree in Education from Elmira College. Upon his retirement from Time Warner Cable, Bob put his degrees to good use by volunteering full time in his wife's classroom. He engaged the students in storytelling, Native American projects, constellations in the Star Lab, environmental lessons, and design technology projects. He also assisted his wife with undergraduate and graduate classes in science and math for teachers at Elmira College. Helping shoot off bottle rockets was a passion of his! In 2004-2005, Bob wrote a series of delightful poems for the students about forest animals and their lessons for humans on how to live the good life. The poems became so popular over the years with parents, grandparents, and people with mental and physical disabilities that, with the help of family and friends, Bob and Barb recently published a book on Amazon entitled Voices From the Forest, Poetry and Artistic Interpretations filled with 26 of his poems, wonderful illustrations of each, ideas for projects, and discussion questions designed to create intergenerational bonds among people of all ages and mental and physical abilities. Bob was thrilled to hold his published book in his hands and to have his "wifey" read the poems to him. Anyone who talked with Bob even for a moment could feel the love he had for Barb and his kids. This last year he has been at peace sitting with his family and many friends under his beloved Japanese maple tree, watching the chickadees and listening to stories. Bob was proud of his Native American heritage. But he was most proud of the amazingly wonderful, creative, and caring adults his children have become and of his grandchildren, who are destined to carry on his passionate love of Mother Earth and all of her inhabitants. A student once asked why Bob chose to carry a bee in his hand out of the classroom instead of swatting it. He said all creatures deserve to live their best life. True to his word, Bob most definitely led his best life. You will certainly be missed, Bob! A celebration of his life is planned for spring, his favorite season, when the leaves come out on the trees and the flowers bloom. Arrangements are entrusted to the LYNCH FUNERAL HOME 318 WEST BROAD STREET HORSEHEADS, NY. Words of Condolence and Memories may be shared at www.lynchsfuneralhome.com