Tommie Lynn Wood

Tommie Lynn Wood passed away peacefully on December 12, 2023, surrounded by his loving family.

Tom was born on September 3, 1944, in Marshall, Texas. He had a love for all things math and science growing up and enjoyed doing different experiments with his older brother Michael. That began a passion that would lead to a remarkable career in the world of aerospace engineering. He began this journey when he joined Bell Helicopter as a college intern in 1965. Tom worked very diligently in his career and showed an exceptional gifting in his field. Throughout his career, he earned many recognitions and awards for his accomplishments, especially in the field of vertical flight. He was awarded the Howard Hughes Award in 1984, the Paul E. Hauter Award in 2005, the AHS Technical Fellow Award in 2010, the Dr. Alexander Klemin Award in 2011, and the AHS Honorary Fellow Award in 2015. Tom also has many patents to his name. He retired from Bell Helicopter in 2018 after working for the company for 53 years. He spent the last few years of his life teaching upper-level classes at St. Paul’s Preparatory Academy. He enjoyed passing on his years of wisdom to his students. It brought him joy to be on the faculty with three of his adult children.

Tom Wood was an active member of Faith Christian Center serving as an elder and on the board of the Church. He faithfully served the Lord all his life, and helped anywhere in the Lord’s House where he was needed. Whether it was being a part of Champion Builders Groups, serving in the children’s areas or teaching Sunday School, Tom lived with an eternal perspective in everything he did.

Tom was a devoted husband and loving father. Tom and Janice had a beautiful marriage full of love and happiness. This past August, they celebrated 56 wonderful years of marriage. They met on a blind date, and Tom was smitten with Janice right away. They decided to settle in Arlington and have lived in this city their entire marriage. Tom and Janice enjoyed traveling to various places around the world. They would take quilting trips around the country exploring different shops. The most important part is that they were always a team, and truly enjoyed spending those moments together. Tom had many accomplishments in life, but nothing made him prouder than his five children and grandchildren. He leaves behind a legacy carried throughout each of them: Amy Maumus (Joseph), Adam Wood (Mary), Aaron Wood (Christy), Andrew Wood (Erica), and Abigail Marshall (Cameron). He was a loving grandaddy to Drew (Rachel), Addison, and Cooper Maumus, Preston, Ashton, and Jackson Wood, AJ and Andersen Wood, Morgan, Hannah, and Ava Marshall. Tom is survived by his siblings Michael Wood and Laura Dyess and a host of cousins, nieces, and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents James and Wilma Wood and sister Rosemary Wood.

In honor of Tom’s life, a memorial service will be held on Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 11 a.m. at Faith Christian Center in Arlington, Texas. In lieu of flowers, the Wood family has asked that donations be made to the St. Paul’s Endowment Fund. Please visit StPaulsPrep.com/Give and select Start My Gift. For the category, select St. Paul’s Endowment.