Gene Charles Wood

August 9, 1924 – February 15, 2006

Gene C. Wood, 81, of Perry, Oklahoma, was the son of William Stanley and Ruby Lavern (Hodge) Wood. He was born August 9, 1924 in Noble County, Oklahoma and died Wednesday, February 15, 2006 at Perry Memorial Hospital.

A life-long resident of Noble County, Gene was a 1943 graduate of Perry High School and served in the United States Army Air Force from May, 1943 until March, 1946. He earned the rank of Corporal before he was honorably discharged from military service.

Gene and Dorothy J. Hull were married on March 21, 1944 at Perry, Oklahoma.

He was employed in city and county law enforcement for 22 years, serving as Noble County Undersheriff for four years and Perry Chief of Police for 12 years.

Gene later was director of personnel services at Charles Machine Works for 12 years and served as manager of the Perry Chamber of Commerce for eight years before retiring in 1988. He also worked part-time at Brown-Dugger Funeral Home and Casteel Real Estate and Auction.

During the 1950s, Gene was involved in numerous youth activities, including baseball and Boy Scouts of America and served as president of the Perry Pewee Baseball Association.

Gene was a member of the First Presbyterian Church where he served as a deacon and elder. He also was a member of the Perry Noon Lions Club, Ellis-Jirous American Legion Post No. 53, Perry Elks Lodge and the Perry Chamber of Commerce.

He held the offices of president of the Perry Lions Club, Lions Club Zone Chairman and Lions Deputy District Governor in the Perry District. Gene received the Lions Club Melvin Jones Fellowship award and was recognized for having recruited over 140 members. He also served as president of the Perry Chamber of Commerce.

Gene was honored as Perry’s Citizen of the Year and was a 2004 inductee into the Perry Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame.

Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, February 18, 2006 at the First Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Paul Stewart will officiate. Interment will be in Grace Hill Cemetery. Services are under direction of Brown-Dugger Funeral Home of Perry, Oklahoma.

A family visitation will be held from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Friday, February 17, 2006 at Brown-Dugger Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to Oklahoma Lions Club Foundation in care of Brown-Dugger Funeral Home, 1010 N. 7th Street, Perry, OK 73077.

In addition to his wife, Dorothy, survivors are one daughter, Carolyn J. Briegge, of Perry, Oklahoma; one son, Larry G. Wood, and his wife, Debbie, of Rowlett, Texas; one brother, Joe L. Wood, of Tulsa, Oklahoma; one sister, Nita J. Kempka, of Perry, Oklahoma; two brothers-in-law, Clifton Hull and his wife, June, of Emporia, Kansas, Don Kline and his wife, Virginia, of Winfield, Kansas; cousins, Harold Hodge and his wife, Venita, of Perry, Oklahoma; six grandchildren, Clay Briegge and his wife, Carol, of Perry, Oklahoma, Deena Rudd and her husband, Roger, of Stillwater, Oklahoma, Jeri and Horst Kannenwischer, of Perry, Oklahoma, Kristi and Brian Booth, of Mesquite, Texas, Lisa Carter, of Rowlett, Texas and Dustin Barrett, of Rowlett, Texas; and 12 great-grandchildren, Ashlyn Briegge, Kaytlyn Briegge, Austin Allen, Kelby Rudd, Karsyn Rudd, Whitney Rudd, Alex Rudd, Cody Neal, Bridgett Booth, Blake Willingham, Brooke Carter and Ashlyn Barrett; nieces and nephews, Ronald and Teresa Russell, of Enid, Oklahoma, Judy and Charlie Patak, of Garber, Oklahoma, Glenda and Manuel Terronez, of Perry, Oklahoma, Tom Sosbee, of Edmond, Oklahoma, Paula Sosbee, of Cushing, Oklahoma, Monty and Phyllis Wood, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Todd Wood, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Jane Ann Murphy, of Garden City, Kansas, Jeff, Hull, of Forgan, Oklahoma, Herb and Karen Hull, of Overland Park, Kansas, Jill and Mark Jacobs, of Emporia, Kansas, Lisa Ocha, of Dennison, Texas, Tom Hull, and C.A. Kline, of Australia and numerous great-nieces and great-nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Stanley and Ruby Wood, one brother, Paul R. Wood, three sisters and brothers-in-law, Nell and “Doc” Sosbee, Margaret and Everett Wilcox and Libby (Russell) Johnson and Jiggs Russell; and one son-in-law, Gene Briegge.