Douglas Wayne Wood Obituary

Steve Marks '75 said:

Hi Lynne! Hope you are great! Agreed. One of the sweetest guys of all times. We played Little League together (Solons:) starting at age eight. Before Doug became a great tennis player (#2 behind Dick Metz), he was a terrific pitcher. One Saturday, we went to a Giants game at Candlestick Park. We were nine years old. Walking around the concourse (on our own!) we spotted a guy wearing a bright yellow (NBC broadcaster) jacket. We looked at each other and said, “Is that Sandy Koufax?” Well, Doug yelled at the top of his lungs, “Hey Sandy!!!” The man turned to look and we were off to the races. We reached Mr. Koufax just as he was entering the broadcast booth where he was a color commentator working alongside Curt Gowdy. We shook his hand and that was it. Nothing was ever going to touch our right hands again. We held our right hands straight up in the air and secured at the wrist by our left hands. Unable to stabilize ourselves for the ride home, picture two “weebles” rolling around in the back of a station wagon all the way back to Sacramento. At least for that day, nothing touched our right hands.
Best to all, Steve Marks

Lynne Brainerd-brown Lynne Brainerd '74 said:

If anyone asked, I would have voted Doug Wood as “Friendliest Guy” in Class of 1975.
He always greeted me with a smile & friendly hello after school at Tennis Team practice in 1974. Doug was on Boy’s Tennis Team & I was on Girl’s Tennis Team. I am shocked & saddened to see for 1st time that he passed away so young in 2006! Doug must have been only 49 or 50 yrs. old. I was hoping to see him again @ my 50 Year Reunion in September 2024. Does anyone know how he passed? Car accident? Cancer? Does he have any siblings, spouse, adult children, grand children? My condolences to all who knew & loved Doug Wood.
Lynne Brainerd-Brown, Rio Class of 1974, 50 Year Reunion Committee Member