DUE TO THE PENDING TROPICAL STORM, THE FUNERAL SERVICE FOR RICHARD T. WOOD HAS BEEN CANCELLED AND WILL BE RESCHEDULED. 

Richard T. Wood, 90, of Savannah, Georgia, passed away on September 15, 2022 in the home of his daughter Susan Wood of Atlanta, Georgia.

Richard was born and raised in Altoona, Pennsylvania to Kenneth V. and Agnes G.Wood, and was the last of eight children. In addition to his parents and siblings, he was preceded in death by his wife Elizabeth M. Wood and son Gregory T. Wood. After serving in the Korean War, Richard graduated from The American College of The Catholic University of Louvain in Leuven, Belgium. When he arrived in Belgium, he taught himself French and then spent three amazing years traveling throughout Europe on his motorcycle. He spoke often of the places he had seen, the unique opportunities he was afforded, and the kindness of strangers who helped a young student far from home.

Upon graduation, Richard returned to Altoona and started his lengthy career in publishing. There he met and married his first wife Elizabeth M. Gedmark. Dick and Beth lived in Pennsylvania and Lexington, Kentucky before settling in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Together, they raised two successful children: son, Gregory and daughter, Susan.Throughout his life, Richard was an avid traveler crossing the globe from Japan to Egypt and all of Europe for work and pleasure. He treasured sharing the places he loved best with his family. In addition, Richard was an accomplished photographer, capturing his journeys with his Hasselblad camera and then carefully making edits, approving prints, and selecting frames. At one time, there was even a dark room in the basement where he developed his own negatives. 

Richard loved classical music and opera. He also enjoyed playing a great round of golf with his son, Greg, and his many friends. Richard also discovered his love of cooking, frequently spending Saturday nights trying recipes from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French cooking. After 25 years of service, Richard retired from University Microfilms International (UMI) in Ann Arbor, Michigan as Vice President of Product Development. He was a pioneer in the digital transformation movement, creating technology solutions for storing original paper materials in digital formats for libraries around the world. He also started, then sold, a company, Thomas  Press, which created canoeing and kayaking guides for rivers throughout the United States.Upon retirement, Richard moved to Savannah, Georgia where he enjoyed golf, sang in the church choir, supported the church’s music programming, and spent many hours conducting genealogical research.

In Savannah, Richard met and married Bette B. Anderson. Together they embarked on adventures connected with Bette’s board work, villa vacations with the entire family, and entertaining a wide circle of friends made during their long lives. Richard is survived by his daughter Susan Wood of Atlanta, GA, wife Bette B. Anderson Wood and stepdaughter Sue (Charlie) Strickland of Savannah, GA. He leaves behind two beloved step granddaughters Ashley (Chris) Freeman and Sara Jane (Ryan) Stroupe and three step great-grandchildren. He is also survived by sister-in-law, Jan Cox Gedmark, and more than thirty nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in memory of Richard to one of the following: St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 3 W. Ridge Road, Savannah, GA 31411, or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Tribute Gift in Memory of Richard T. Wood:https://www.michaeljfox.org/donate/make-don