Van E. Wood, 83, of Concord Township, Delaware County, died May 19, 2017 at Riverside Hospital. He was born May 25, 1933 in New York City, son of Earl C. and Carol Florence (Derby) Wood, and grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey. He graduated from Union College, Schenectady, NY in 1955 with a Bachelor's in Physics. He then attended Case Institute of Technology in Cleveland, Ohio where he received M. S. and Ph.D. degrees studying theoretical solid state physics under John R. Reitz. Thereafter, as a long-time employee of Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH, he was author of numerous technical papers and co-holder of 11 U.S. patents. He was a life member of the IEEE, and served for many years on its National Ferroelectrics Committee. Also, he had long-time memberships in the American Physical Society and the scientific honorary, Sigma Xi. Cherished hobbies pursued with his wife, Carol, included genealogy and nature studies including birds, plants, butterflies, and dragonflies. They were avid readers and collectors of books on biography and science.
Van and Carol Mae Hubbard were married June 7, 1958, at the Detroit Avenue Methodist Church in Lakewood, Ohio. Carol, of Delaware County, survives, as well as their daughters Susan Haines Wood of Uehling, NE, and Heather Diane Wood Drinkwater and her husband, Donald Erlyn Drinkwater II, of West Lafayette, IN. He is also survived by his granddaughter, Ruth Wood Drinkwater, West Lafayette. Additional survivors include his brother, Chauncey Wood and sister-in-law, Sarah B. Wood of Fountain Hills, AZ, cousins, nieces, nephew, great-nieces and nephew, and many friends. Burial will be in Oller Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the National Audubon Society.
A Memorial Service for both Van and Carol will be held at Salem Evangelical Covenant Church, Oakland, Nebraska, Saturday, January 13, 2024. 2:30 PM
Memorials may be made to the National Audubon Society, Midland University Heritage Arboretum, or Catz Angels of Fremont, NE.
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