WOOD, Jeanne

The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona, Wednesday, May 06, 2015 Jeanne Wood passed away on Monday, May 4, 2015 after a long illness. She was born to Herman Collin and Bessie Lee House in Lake Charles, Louisiana on June 27, 1936. Jeanne was an intelligent, warm, beautiful and gregarious woman with many interests. She grew up on a large farm near Lake Charles, attended school in Iowa, Louisiana and graduated from LSU in 1957. She taught school for many years. Late in her teaching career, she learned and taught computer science and programming at Robinson High School in Northern Virginia. She mentored young people who took her computer courses and helped launch some of them on successful careers in information technology fields. Some are still her friends after so many years. Jeanne's previous marriage produced two sons whom Jeanne loved very much and who brought her great joy. She met Arch Wood in 1981 in Northern Virginia; they were married in 1982. After positions in Cleveland and back in Washington, they retired to Prescott in 1999. She was active in the Prescott Art Docents. She loved to take art to the schools, and she retained a warm place in her heart for the children in first and second grade at Miler Valley Elementary School. She was an avid hiker in Prescott and hiked the rim-to-rim trails of the Grand Canyon when she was 71 years old. She was an excellent cook, mastering several cuisines, including Cajun, reflecting the heritage of her two Cajun Grandmothers. Jeanne was an inveterate traveler. She toured extensively in the United States and Western Europe. She also travelled in the Soviet Union, Korea, China, India and Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. She is survived by her husband, Archie L. Wood, whose marriage to Jeanne was filled with happiness. She is also survived by her sister, Candace Harrington; her brother Collin House; and sons Gilbert Engle and Colin Engle. Members of her extended family, Lisa Bellamy, a devoted friend of 40 years, and her many other friends in Prescott, Northern Virginia and Lake Charles are grieving her loss. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Jeanne's favorite charity, the Coalition for Compassion and Justice, P.O. Box 1882, Prescott, AZ 86302. Her many friends are invited to her memorial service at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 15, 2015, at the Prescott United Methodist Church, 550 W. Gurley St., Prescott, Arizona. Information provided by survivors.