Billy Gene “Bill” Wood, 85, passed away on September 20, 2015. He graduated from Eastern Illinois State University in 1949 with a Bachelor's degree majoring in chemistry. He then enlisted in the Air Force for a four-year term and went through basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. He was then sent to Biloxi, Mississippi for specialized training in radar. He was later transferred to work with the civilian Ground Observation Corp in Minneapolis, Minnesota. While there, he married Ellen Jacobson in 1952. He enrolled part-time at the University of Minnesota and later was sent to Anchorage, Alaska to man a radar site on Fire Island in the Bay of Anchorage. After his four-year enlistment was up, he enrolled at the University of California, Berkley and obtained a degree in Physics. After graduation, he accepted a position as an Engineer at Goodyear Aerospace in Goodyear, Arizona. He earned his masters' degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arizona in 1960. IBM hired him to work in their research and development division in Endicott, NY where he and his group invented automatic check sorting machines. Later he rejoined Goodyear Aerospace in Arizona to work on side scanning radar for the Air Force. At the same time he taught Electronics and Technology two nights a week at Phoenix College. After he retired from Goodyear Aerospace in 1977 he accepted a position as a professor of Engineering and Technology at ASU. He retired from ASU in 1999. He then taught as an online adjunct instructor at Rio Salado. At Chandler-Gilbert Community College he and his daughter, Dr. Lorelei Wood, taught a chemistry class together. Bill belonged to many service organizations and clubs, electronics groups and the ASU Faculty Senate. Bill is survived by his wife Ellen, a daughter, four grandchildren, three sisters, a brother, and an aunt. Bill was preceded in death by a son. Funeral services and burial will be at Mariposa Gardens Funeral Home, 400 S. Power Road in Mesa (Southwest corner of Broadway and Power Road 480-830-4422) on Saturday, September 26, 2015, at3PM with viewing at 2PM. Everyone is invited to celebrate Bill's amazing life at the services with refreshments to follow. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project 4150 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Suite 100 Scottsdale, AZ 480-946-0663.

(Source: Arizona Republic)