Jacqueline "Jackie" Wood

Jacqueline Lee Wood, 88, a resident of Jonesboro, Arkansas for 44 years passed from this life at the Flo & Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro on October 19, 2010. “Jackie”, as she was known to her many friends and family, was born Jacqueline Lee Murphy on July 8, 1922 in Junction City, Kansas. She was a 1944 graduate of Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia, Kansas. She was a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma fraternal sorority and received her Bachelor of Arts in music, with a minor in Education. She taught high school English and Literature (1944-1945) at Scott City, Kansas. She married her beloved husband of 51 years, then Captain Starling W. Wood, Jr. of Jonesboro, Arkansas in 1942. As her husband was a career US Army Officer, Jackie traveled and relocated with her husband and family throughout his 30 year career. Her many residences include Camp Polk, Louisiana, Fort Benning, Georgia, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Heidelberg, Germany, Fort Monroe, Virginia, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Athens, Greece (her favorite), and Little Rock, Arkansas.

After moving multiple times following her husband’s military career throughout the United States and Europe, upon her husband’s retirement, they settled in Jonesboro, Arkansas where she has resided since 1966. Jackie was a member of First United Methodist Church in Jonesboro. She served as a “Pink Lady” volunteer at St. Bernard’s Medical Center in Jonesboro and was a recipient of the prestigious Paul Harris Fellow Award from Jonesboro Rotary Club.

After her family, music was Jackie’s passion as she was an active member of the Nocturne Music Club in Jonesboro and during her college years was a member of Sigma Alpha Iota collegiate music fraternity. Her greatest pleasure, however, was her family. Her finest attribute was her never ending support and devotion to her family. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.

Jackie was preceded in death by her loving husband Col. Starling Witt Wood, Ret. Of Jonesboro, Arkansas but is survived by her two sons, Stephen K. Wood and daughter-in-law, Cindy Wood of Marion, Arkansas and Dr. Douglas R. Wood and daughter-in-law, Dr. Neta Wood of Jonesboro, Arkansas; five grandchildren, Kimberly Miller, Elizabeth Moise, Douglas R. Wood, Jr., Stephanie Wood Chester and Stephen K. Wood, Jr.; and six great grandchildren.

The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to Geraldine Wortham, Johnnie Gibson, Wanda Pate, Francis Gibson and Martha Schneider, her gentle and devoted home caregivers, who attended her for nearly 4 years, her physician, Ben Owens, Jr., MD, as well as the nurses and employees of Flo & Phil Jones Hospice House at St. Bernard’s for their loving care and attention to her in her final days.

There will be a private visitation on Friday, October 22 at Emerson Funeral Home with a private graveside service at Jonesboro Memorial Park Cemetery, officiated by Rev. John Miles and Rev. Patty Soward.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to First United Methodist Church of Jonesboro or to Flo & Phil Jones Hospice House at St. Bernard’s.

Active pallbearers will be her grandsons, Stephen K. Wood, Jr., Douglas R. Wood, Jr., Witt Miller, and grandsons-in-law, J.J. Miller, MD, Richard Moise and Elliott Chester.

Honorary pallbearer will be Stephen Murphy Miller.