George W. Wood, DDS, died July 8, 2002. Born near Bigfork, Mont., in 1918, he spent his early years in Kalispell, Mont.He served five years in the US Army and the US Air Force in World War II. He married Grace Scearce in 1942 then attended Whitman College in Walla Walla and the University of Washington School of Dentistry, graduating in 1951. He practiced dentistry in Walla Walla for 30 years before retirement and lived on Whidbey Island for the rest of his life. He and Grace recently celebrated 60 years together.

He is survived by his wife and children: Cynthia Shelton and her husband, John in Langley; Douglas R. Wood, DDS, and his wife LaVonne in Oak Harbor; George S. Wood and his wife Marilyn in Seattle. Three granddaughters Jill Winford, Allison Wood, Jami Belieu; one grandson, Kyl Wood; one great-grandson, Jack Winford; and many nieces and nephews survive.

He had a penchant to join good causes and served in many leadership roles. He was president of Washington Dental Service (first president of the first dental insurance for patients in the United States); Washington State Dental Association; Walla Walla Chamber of Commerce; Walla Walla Rotary Club; Walla Walla Community College (first president and board member for 10 years); and Useless Bay Golf and Country Club. He believed service is the rent you pay for living in a community.

We loved him for his generous and loving spirit, a sense of humor that delighted all who knew him, and his ability to touch so many lives in a meaningful way. He was the light of our lives and we will miss him deeply. A family memorial will be held in the summer.