Harold "Bill" William Wood

Wood

Glade Valley-  Mr. Harold William “Bill” Wood, 91, passed away Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at the Woltz Hospice Home in Dobson.  He was born July 3, 1929 in Yadkin County to the late Lee and Mary Hanes Wood.  Bill grew up in the rural communities of Harmony and Hamptonville, NC.  Following graduation from West Yadkin High School he became a veteran of the US Air Force during the Korean War.  Upon completion of his duty, he attended N.C. State University and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering.  He had several opportunities following college, and chose the little known, challenging field of Manned Space Flight with the National Advisory Council on Aeronautics, and then on to NASA.  At NASA, Bill started out serving as a communications and tracking engineer.  He set up tracking stations all over the world, on nearly every continent.  His role and level of responsibility expanded to becoming the Director of Manned Space Flight at Goddard Space Flight Center.  He was a key contributor to the success of the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Lab Missions.  Bill would complete his career as Deputy Administrator of NASA HQ in Washington, DC.  He was responsible for network operations for the manned space flight program, unmanned space flight program and deep space program.  Bill once said, “I stood on the shoulders of giants; there are some brilliant people in the Space Program.”  Even though he would never give himself the credit, Bill Wood was one of the giants.  In all of his endeavors, his wife, Claudia was there to support him along the way.  In retirement, Bill and Claudia continued to travel the world when not spending time with their grandchildren.  They would return home to the North Carolina mountains.  Bill loved the game of golf, and the opportunities it provided to meet new people and share experiences.  Bill’s love of golf was passed down through his teaching to his children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren.  Bill certainly made his mark professionally in ways that will live on for many years in the Space Program.  Personally, his loved ones will carry his memory in their hearts of the kind soul, and friendly personality that we all cherished.  In addition to his parents, Bill was also preceded in death by his sister, Doris Norman, and a brother, Clifton Wood.  Surviving are his beloved wife of 68 years, Claudia C. Wood; two sons, Michael and Steven Wood; a daughter, Karen Wood Mollman; 4 grandchildren, Lee Mollman, Heather M. Caudill, Aaron Wood, Sarah Wood Swihart; 7 great-grandsons, Nicholas and Ethan Caudill; Will, Charlie, and Hayden Mollman; Ellis and Callum Swihart; and several nieces and nephews.  Bill will be available for public viewing from 8-5 PM Monday and Tuesday at Gentry Family Funeral Service on Little Mountain Road in Jonesville.  The family will receive friends from 10:30-11:00 AM Wednesday at Mountain View Baptist Church in Hamptonville.  His funeral service will follow the visitation at 11:00 AM Wednesday at Mountain View Baptist Church by Rev. Tim Tucker.  Interment will follow the service in Flat Rock Baptist Church Cemetery.  Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to either Mountain Valley Hospice and the Woltz Hospice Home, 945 Zephyr Road, Dobson, NC 27017 or to Mountain View Baptist Church, 1232 Mountain View Church Road, Hamptonville, NC  27020.  Online condolences may be made to www.gentryfuneralservice.com.