John Arnold Wood, 86, of Portsmouth, passed away surrounded by his beloved family on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at the St. Mary’s Medical Center in Huntington, WV. John was born on December 2, 1937, in Portsmouth, the son of the late Chester Elmore and Catherine Regina Petry Wood.
A 1955 graduate of Portsmouth High School, he met his wife, the former Rebecca ‘Becky’ Fugitt, while working at the LeRoy Theater, and they married on June 28, 1958. John went on to serve in the USMC Reserves, he worked at Williams Manufacturing Company, and he was the youngest-ever foreman at Empire Detroit Steel Corp. He owned a SERVPRO franchise for many years, and eventually retired as a co-owner of the former Spirits and Convenience Store, or ‘SACS’, of Portsmouth.
A faithful member of the Cornerstone Church, he previously recorded the services for their Sunday broadcast, and, alongside his wife, ran the church food bank for ten years. He and Rebecca also traveled the world as AAA Tour Guides. John enjoyed fishing, golf and he was a model train enthusiast. He was also an avid OSU Buckeyes, Reds and Bengals fan.
John is survived by his wife of 66 years, Rebecca A. Fugitt Wood; three daughters, Cathy (Randy) Fite of Wheelersburg, Laura (Todd) Marchus of St. Joe, IN, and Suzi (John) Bloomfield of Chillicothe; two siblings, Phil (Cathy) Wood of Portsmouth and Lynn (Darrell) Logan of Wheelersburg; five grandchildren, Keith Fite, Ely Spears, Jessica (Corey) Wallace, Kyle Spears, Sydney Marchus, Allison (Misty Phillips) Bloomfield, and Samantha Bloomfield; and five great-grandchildren, Hayden Hobbs, Dylan Bloomfield, Noah Spears, Ian Secrist and Morgan Wallace.
In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by a sister, Jan Nichols.
A Memorial Service will be held at noon on Saturday, October 26, 2024, at Cornerstone Church in Portsmouth with Rev. Tom Charles officiating and interment in Greenlawn Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of the Ralph F. Scott Funeral Home in Portsmouth.
The family will receive guests at the church from 11 A.M. until the service hour.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Cornerstone Church, 808 Offnere St., Portsmouth, OH 45662.