School & Community News

Mr Woods Passed Away

http://www.presstelegram.com/education/ci_14121510

LONG BEACH - Although teacher Quentin Wood wore a dress shirt and a tie to school, his approach to teaching was anything but formal.

Wood, who taught at Poly and Lakewood high schools for nearly 40 years, was known for his enthusiastic and engaging teaching style.

"He is one of the instructors that embodied the principles of a true educator and a model for our young people," said Charles Acosta, co-principal of Lakewood High.

Wood, who retired in 2005, died Dec. 29 as a result of complications from liver cancer. He was 66.

Known for his sense of humor, Wood would entertain students with his collection of toys, said his stepdaughter Peggy Mogan Folsom.

"He was fun, extraordinarily creative and just zany," Folsom said. "You never knew what he was going to do."

He knew how to connect with students, she said.

"He was brilliant in being able to really reach every kind of student," Folsom said.

Born and reared in Kansas, Wood graduated from the University of Kansas in 1965 with a bachelor's degree in history.

After serving in the U.S. Air Force, he began his career in the Long Beach Unified School District at Poly High School in 1966, transferring to Lakewood a few years later.

He is survived by his wife, Marilyn Mogan; his stepchildren, Peggy Mogan Folsom, and Tom, John, and Jim Mogan; and his two brothers, Steven and Stuart Wood.

A memorial service will be Saturday at 11 a.m. in the