Obituary

Obituary for John R. Wood

John Russell Wood October 3^rd , 1941- January 5^th, 2015

John passed away at home on January 5^th following care in the cardiac unit of Sacré-Coeur Hospital in Montreal.

John is survived by Diana (nee Gow), his wife of 51 years,  his children Ben (Erin) and Sylvia (Robert) and grandchildren Jackson, Carlos and Ruby.  He is also survived by his siblings:   James Edgar Wood (Diane) and Elizabeth (Jim), his brothers-in-law:  Harry (Jacinthe) and John (Heather) as well as many beloved nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.  He was predeceased by his father, John Wood and mother, Margaret Wood (nee Edgar) as well as his sister-in-law: Maria (Tony)  

After completing his doctorate at McGill, and the Post-Doctorate Fellowship in France, John had a successful career in the Pulp and Paper industry.  He was a well-respected scientist known for his rigour and attention to detail and the world-wide reputation in his area of expertise.   He remained active in science until the end, serving on industry committees and participating in conferences.     

John was happiest when he was in the "great outdoors".   He grew up going to his parents’ cottage on Stoney Lake Ontario and then built his own after he and Diana had children.  John, Diana, Sylvia and Ben, aunts, uncles and cousins spent many wonderful summer months there.  Sailing and canoeing were passions of his from a young age.  He loved racing lazars even when the wind didn’t cooperate.   Canoeing was something he and Diana enjoyed together, whether it was a short, peaceful paddle in their cedar strip, or an ambitious journey into the Canadian wilderness.  Tales of encounters with moose and epic days battling wind and thunderstorms became part of the family lore.   The cold winters were also embraced by John.  He looked forward to the first ski of the year and spent many years training for and participating in the Canadian Ski Marathon where he earned a coveted “coreur du bois” award and the “right” to carry a heavy backpack and sleep outdoors! 

After both his children moved out West he reconnected with the British Columbia Mountains.  Whether it was hiking up the Squamish chief, learning to backcountry ski in the Valhalla’s near Nelson or hiking into alpine lakes around Revelstoke, John wanted to do it all!   His grandchildren Carlos and Ruby have great memories of scrambling on the rocks at the top of Mount Revelstoke only a few months ago. 

His famous quote, often repeated to his children was:  “Never regret the things you do, only those you don’t do”.  John was a doer… His neighbours in Baie D’Urfe will remember him as the one who figured out how to live off the grid during the 1998 ice storm.  They continued to come to him to learn how to stay warm without hydro!   His philosophy that experiences were more valuable than material items was something he worked hard to instill.

Although his children and nieces and nephews liked to tease John about his “nerdy” science side, he loved people and spending time with them.   He was always interested in others’ lives and work and had remained a true lifelong learner.  He loved a good debate whether it was what to do about climate change, Quebec politics or which ski wax to use.  These could go on for hours if you wanted and involved your wine glass being refilled several times. 

John lived life to the fullest with great kindness and enthusiasm.  He will be missed by many.