William Wood

William "Bill" Adair Wood, 23, Olathe, passed away at his residence on May 6, 2016. He was born January 12, 1993 in Merriam. He is the son of Daniel A. Wood and Karen S. Ingham Wood. Bill attended school in Paola and was the youngest student from Paola to compete in the state geography bee for two years in a row. Bill was honored with an award at KU from the state of Kansas during his 7th grade year for high ACT scores. Bill attended Paola High School and was involved in FFA and competed on the beef judging team. He also was a member of the scholar bowl team. Bill graduated from Center High School in Herington, Kansas. Bill enjoyed working outdoors in landscaping and masonry. Bill was a kind, generous, and caring person with a great gift of valuing others. Bill enjoyed being outdoors and spent a lot of time bicycling. He also enjoyed cooking and reading. His best friend and companion was his lab/collie mix, Maggie. He was always fascinated with science and was an avid student of life. Bill always had many friends and he delighted others with his mastery of many subjects and great sense of humor. Bill was well liked by everyone and he will be remembered for his ability to make others feel important and his compassion for those with hardships. He was the kind of person who would give his last twenty dollars to someone outside of Casey"s store or tell a foreign clerk "thank you" in their native Russian language just to put them at ease. Bill cared deeply about his family and was a good brother and son. Bill was a talented story teller and his friends and family were always entertained by his adventurous tales. Bill"s favorite holiday was the 4th of July and he looked forward every year to shopping for fireworks with his brother, Sam, and sister, Amanda, and later putting on a great show with them. His favorite vacation was a trip to Florida where he was able to meet astronauts at Cape Kennedy, take a swamp boat ride and see alligators, and visit Sea World. Bill had a beautiful energy and was very dear to his family and friends. He was a great blessing to us all. He loved God and nature. It would take many books to capture the complete essence of Bill and to share the great joy and special gifts that he brought to others, especially his family. He was a beloved son and will be greatly missed by his family. He is survived by his father, Daniel Wood of Parker; mother, Karen Wood of Paola; brother, Samuel Wood, and sister, Amanda, both of Paola. Other survivors include: his paternal grandmother, Hazel Wood of Shawnee; and maternal grandmother, Shirley Hammeke of Ellinwood. Bill has a large extended family. The family suggests contributions to the William A. Wood Fund made payable to Karen Wood. Dear Brother, You will always be in our hearts. Dear Son, Your smile and laugh will be remembered by all. The lord gave us your presence as a gift to brighten our lives. The pain you endured will be gone in the afterlife. The strength of the human spirit was proven by you, the hardest of times we all can get through. Dear Brother, you are now free. Dear Son, We will always have you in our memory, by Sam Wood To share your memories of William or leave a special message for William's family please click the Share Memories button above. Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Paola, Kansas Service: Monday, May 16, 2016 at 3:00 PM Visitation: No Visitation