Bill Wood, longtime New Mexico banker, age 77, died on Saturday, June 3, 2017.   He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Dorothy (Wilcher) Wood;  and brothers, James and Douglas Wood.   He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Wynne (Edwards) Wood;  daughters, Jennifer Wood Bartelt and Susie Wood Harris;  a grandson, Christopher Bartelt.

If you asked Bill where he was from, he'd always answer, "I was born in Cleveland, but I was raised in Virginia."   He was proud of his southern heritage, and had fond memories of his early childhood and elementary school years in Alexandria, Virginia.   His family returned to Ohio when he was a teenager;  he graduated from Wadsworth High School in 1958.   He then attended Harvard University under a Navy ROTC scholarship.   Through that program, he spent one summer on a submarine, which traveled to Cuba shortly before the US Cuban Missile crisis.   Upon earning his bachelor's degree from Harvard in 1962, he was recruited to work in the officer training program of Chemical Bank New York Trust Company on Wall Street in New York,   His years there prepared him for a long and distinguished career in banking in New Mexico, primarily in commercial loan review.

Bill and Wynne moved to New Mexico in 1970 where he was hired by Bank of New Mexico, which through a series of mergers eventually became Wells Fargo.   He also worked briefly as a financial consultant for Bruce J. Pierce and Associates.   After retiring from Wells Fargo, he kept his hand in banking by working as an advisor to Charter Bank, Los Alamos National Bank and several other small New Mexico banks through Edwards and Associates.

He was a longtime member of the New Mexico Bankers Association and Robert Morris Associates.   For several years he taught banking for the Western States School of Banking, and he served on their board.   As an active community member he also served on the boards of Goodwill Industries, the New Mexico Symphony, and the Albuquerque Astronomical Society.   Until his health began to decline, he guided visitors as a docent at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science.

Bill's love of learning didn't end with his formal education.   Over the years he participated in a variety of activities that reflected his broad interests.   He enjoyed playing tennis and golf, hunting, fishing and shooting skeet.   An ardent amateur astronomer, on many occasions he hosted star parties for his neighbors and friends.   He learned to facet gemstones, and was an avid reader of all kinds of books and magazines.   He and his wife loved to travel both domestically and abroad, and they made friends around the world through their participation in the American Host program, and the Albuquerque Council for International Visitors.

He will be best remembered for his old fashioned values:  a dedication to detail, loyalty, honesty, and his love for dogs.  The family requests that in lieu of flowers, friends wishing to do so make a donation in his honor to Animal Humane New Mexico, 615 Virginia Street SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108,

www.animalhumanenm.org

Memorial Services will be held Saturday, June 10, 2017, 1:30 p.m., at Faith Lutheran Church, 10000 Spain Rd. NE.   Please visit our online guestbook for Bill at  www.FrenchFunerals.com

Published in Albuquerque Journal from June 7 to June 10, 2017.

Bill Wood
Wadsworth High School
Graduating Class of 1958 

Steph Schmeltzer  (WHS 1997), Chair, Wadsworth High School Alumni Association. 524 Broad Street, Wadsworth, OH 44281.    Past obituaries, class information, and alumni news is available at www.wadsworthalumni.com.  Please contact us at [email protected] . To view WCTV television programs featuring Wadsworth High School and other Wadsworth news, go to http://my.viebit.com.   Please consider becoming a supporting member of the Alumni Association by sending a check addressed to "WHS ALUMNI ASSOC."  for $10 (annual dues) or $100 (lifetime dues) to Sally Porter, WHSAA Treasurer, 524 Broad Street, Wadsworth, OH 44281. Reduced Membership Rates for WHS Alumni Couples! $150 per couple for lifetime memberships; $25 per couple for yearly dues.