Freestone County, Texas
Obituaries, Memorials, and Death Notices


  Obituary for Forrest Edwards "Buddy" Wood, Jr.
  
  Forrest Edwards Wood, Jr., Ph.D. , was born in Fairfield on 20 Aug 1937. He grew 
up in Fairfield and Teague in Freestone Co., TX. Later, Forrest graduated from 
Teague High School in 1955, BA from Baylor University in 1958, Ph.D. of philosophy 
at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, TX in May 1964. He did post-graduate work 
in philosophy at Tulane University in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, LA. during the 
summers of 1965 and 1966. Forrest taught the subjects of philosophy, ethics, 
religion, and logic at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, 
Forrest Co., MS. for 46 years between 1966 and 2012. Forrest authored a number 
of books such as the "The Delights and Dilemmas of Hunting" (on the ethics of 
hunting), "Whiteheadian Thought As a Basis for a Philosophy of Religion", "Night 
Fell on the Mountain" (novel), and "Land Without Ghosts Is Dirt" (hunting stories 
of Freestone County). Forrest was an avid hunter and fisherman.
  Forrest married Evelyn Elaine Shadrick (whom he met at Southwestern Seminary) 
on 18 August 1962 in Raimund Heights Baptist Church in Raimund Heights, Jefferson 
Co., AL.  Forrest and Elaine were long time members of University Baptist Church 
in Hattiesburg, Forrest Co., MS. Forrest and Elaine celebrated 62 years of 
marriage before he passed. He died in his joint home with his daughter in Redmond, 
King Co., WA. on 18 Dec 2024 at the age of 87. Forrest and Elaine spent most of 
their life in Hattiesburg, MS, where they raised 2 children, Eric and Sharon. 
They were long-time members of University Baptist Church, where Forrest lent his 
wisdom and understanding nature to numerous committees, Sunday school classes, 
and, on occasion, the pulpit.
  Forrest was an avid hunter and fisherman. He enjoyed hunting locally for turkey 
and deer and fly-fishing at Ingram's pond. He would also make a yearly sojourn 
back to his ancestral land to hunt white tail deer, an experience he shared 
generously with his friends and family. In his later years, he would fly fish 
with his dear friend Carroll in Montana and troll the waters of Neah Bay and 
beyond with his pal, Mark.
  Survivors are his wife, Elaine; his son, Eric Wood and wife, Sarah (Smith) Wood; 
his daughter, Sharon (Wood) Heinemann and husband, Charlie; and grandson, Joseph 
Heinemann.
  Forrest will be buried at Bonner Cemetery in Freestone County, TX. Texas funeral 
will be at Capps Memorial in Fairfield, TX on Saturday, May 24, at 10 am.

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  There will be a joint tombstone for Forrest and Elaine that will be at Bonner 
Cemetery. Forrest will be cremated and his ashes interned in an urn in front of 
the eventual headstone.