Larry Ralph Wood
May 15, 1935 — September 7, 2014
Larry R. Wood, 79, of Hiawatha, Iowa, died Sunday, September 7, 2014, at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House. Services: 11 a.m. Thursday, September 11, 2014, at Zion Lutheran Church, Hiawatha, Iowa, with military rites by American Legion Post #298. Family will greet friends from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, September 10, 2014, at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cedar Rapids. Burial at a later date.
Survivors include his wife, Lois; children, Gwenda (Dan) Jarosh, Lyle Losey, and Laurie McCauley; six grandchildren, Cassandra, Michael, Austin and Sean Losey, Matthew (Chrissy) McCauley and Ellen McCauley and two great-grandchildren, Lillian and Faith McCauley.
Larry was preceded in death by his parents, R. Ralph and Beulah Wood.
Larry was born on May 15, 1935, in Fort Collins, Colorado, son of R. Ralph and Beulah Wood. During high school in Longmont, Colorado, he worked at a service station. Joined the Navy in 1954, and served until 1958. He was stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, served in Norman, Oklahoma, Memphis, Tennessee, and San Diego, California. Larry was part of the FASRON 4 at Los Alamitos, California. After the Navy, he attended college while he worked at a TV repair store, making $10.00 a day.
After college Larry went to work for a FAA as a field engineer in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. In 1963 he worked for General Dynamics at Ft. Worth until 1965. Then he went to work for Rockwell Collins in engineering and publications for 27 ½ years. He then retired and has been building a Zenith 701 light aircraft.
Larry’s hobby was woodworking. He estimated that he owned 150 different cars during his lifetime. His first vehicle was a 1928 Model A Ford Pickup, which he bought in 1952 for only $15.00. He favored his 1964 Buick Riviera and a 1942 Chevy. Larry loved avionics. He got his first pilot’s license and soloed when he was 21 years old. Larry married Lois Losey on April 10, 1986. Lois and Larry enjoyed traveling and took several cruises.
Survivors include his wife, Lois; children, Gwenda (Dan) Jarosh, Lyle Losey, and Laurie McCauley; six grandchildren, Cassandra, Michael, Austin and Sean Losey, Matthew (Chrissy) McCauley and Ellen McCauley and two great-grandchildren, Lillian and Faith McCauley.
Larry was preceded in death by his parents, R. Ralph and Beulah Wood.
Larry was born on May 15, 1935, in Fort Collins, Colorado, son of R. Ralph and Beulah Wood. During high school in Longmont, Colorado, he worked at a service station. Joined the Navy in 1954, and served until 1958. He was stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, served in Norman, Oklahoma, Memphis, Tennessee, and San Diego, California. Larry was part of the FASRON 4 at Los Alamitos, California. After the Navy, he attended college while he worked at a TV repair store, making $10.00 a day.
After college Larry went to work for a FAA as a field engineer in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. In 1963 he worked for General Dynamics at Ft. Worth until 1965. Then he went to work for Rockwell Collins in engineering and publications for 27 ½ years. He then retired and has been building a Zenith 701 light aircraft.
Larry’s hobby was woodworking. He estimated that he owned 150 different cars during his lifetime. His first vehicle was a 1928 Model A Ford Pickup, which he bought in 1952 for only $15.00. He favored his 1964 Buick Riviera and a 1942 Chevy. Larry loved avionics. He got his first pilot’s license and soloed when he was 21 years old. Larry married Lois Losey on April 10, 1986. Lois and Larry enjoyed traveling and took several cruises.
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