Obituary of Lillian Wood

"Let my death be a celebration of my life. I believe it was a wonderful time. My joys were countless." On 5 May 2017 Lillian Fox Wood, 89, passed away and on to the next part of her journey. She was a beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend. Born in Bridgeport on 26 November 1927 to Henry and Catherine Sullivan Fox, she graduated from St. Vincent's School of Nursing in 1948 and began the vocation that would define her life, nursing. She would remain in that field the rest of her entire working life. She and her late husband of 49 years, James G. Wood, moved their young family to Fairfield in 1952 where the number of children grew to five. Lillian has joined her second son David, inspirational father and scout leader, who passed away just three years ago, and her third son Gregory. We still mourn the loss of Greg after his very recent passing in January of this year. Greg lived in Georgia and worked as a computer programmer. He, like his oldest brother James and his father, was a military veteran. Greg served honorably in the U.S. Army. Sister to the late Drs. Henry Fox and Edward Fox, she is survived by brother James Fox and wife Gloria along with sister-in-law Lil Fox. As matriarch of a family extending four generations, Lillian's legacy includes her eldest son James E. Wood, his wife Martha and their children Lindsay and fiancé Jeremey, Michael, and Emily; her son David's family consisting of his wife Carol and their children David-John, fiancé Beth and their daughters Lilliana and Riley, Christopher and his wife Sonya, and son Connor; Gregory's family consisting of his wife Beth, son Beau, wife Jenny and their children Joshua and Phoenix, daughter Jesse Wood Fee, husband David and their children Madison and Noah; Cherie Wood Walker, her husband Jonathan and their children Shannon Walker Blaisdell, husband Brad and their children Phineas, Jaxson, Mackenzie, and Lincoln, and Jon-Ryan Walker; and Cathie Wood Walz, her husband Thomas and their children Oliver and Beatrice. Lillian took enormous joy in her five children, twelve grandchildren, and ten, soon to be twelve, great grand children. As a nurse, Lillian worked for the Visiting Nurse Association, Gimbel's Department Store, Pirelli Armstrong Tire, and an industrial health nurse for Bunker-Ramo Corp. During that time she was also an active member of the Southern Connecticut Occupational Health Nurses Association with whom she was a very early visitor to the former Soviet Union as part of a nursing exchange program. Despite a life of great challenges, Lillian created a life of great adventures. She loved to travel, often with her lifelong friend Maggie Komenda, and among her destinations were Ireland, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Canada, the Bahamas, Soviet Georgia, France, England, and Guatemala. She was also a Scrabble player you did not want to cross. The family gives special thanks to the staff at the Elaine Center of Hadley and Hospice of the Fisher Home of Amherst for their great kindness to Lillian during the final stage of her life. A service commemorating Lillian's life will be celebrated at Fairfield Grace United Methodist Church, 1089 Fairfield Woods Rd, Fairfield at 10:00 am on Friday, 12 May 2017 and will be preceded by a calling hour beginning at 9:00 am in the Hood Parlor at the church. The Lesko & Polke Funeral Home of Fairfield (203) 256-8988 has been entrusted with the arrangements. Donations can be mailed to St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation, 2800 Main Street, Bridgeport CT 06606. In the memo field please reference College/Lillian Fox Wood. Online donations can be made at https://give.stvincents.org/donatenow; for the Designation please select "St. Vincent's College." To order flowers online, for travel directions, or to sign her guest register, please visit www.LeskoPolkeFuneralHome.com