John C. Wood, 81

GILFORD — John Charles Wood, of Gilford, passed on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, at the age of 81, in his home with his family and favorite canines at his bedside. He fought a courageous battle against Parkinson’s Disease for many years.

He was born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, to Frank A. and Muriel (Howe) Wood. He spent his very early years in Vermont until his family relocated to Wakefield, Massachusetts. After graduating from Wakefield Memorial High School in 1959, he pursued his education at Norwich University. He was an accomplished skier and a member of the National Ski Patrol while at Norwich. He had fond memories of skiing Cannon Mountain and Tuckerman’s Ravine with his friends. At age 19 he joined the Army, eventually serving in the Vietnam War. In 1965 he married his high school sweetheart, Patricia (Velmure).

John was a devoted family man, who cherished his son Robert of Grayson, Georgia; daughter, Christina of Gilford; and four grandchildren, Alexandra Wood, Jack Wood, Aidan Hooper, and Ryan Hooper. He relished spending vacations at Willoughby Lake in Vermont.

As a golf enthusiast, trips to Myrtle Beach with his golfing buddies were the highlight of each year. Besides golf, hobbies included boating, fishing, working in his yard, cooking, reading, and watching the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots play. His career in communications began as a coin collector for Bell Telephone, a craftsman for New England Telephone with advancement to an electrical engineer at Verizon and Boston Communications.

Surviving family members include his wife of 57 years, Patricia (Velmure); a son, Robert of Grayson, Georgia; daughter, Christina of Gilford; and four grandchildren, Alexandra Wood, Jack Wood, Aidan Hooper, and Ryan Hooper; a nephew, two nieces and a host of friends and his faithful dogs, “Sadie Belle" and “Sophie Rose.”

A Memorial Service will be held at the First United Methodist Church, 18 Wesley Way, Gilford, on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.

Burial will be at Puritan Lawn Cemetery, Peabody, Massachusetts, at a later date.

Memorial contributions can be made to the New Hampshire Humane Society, PO Box 572, Laconia, NH. 03247 or Parkinson’s Foundation, 200 SE 1st St., Suite 800. Miami, FL 33131.

Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services and 603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, visit www.wilkinsonbeane.com.