Lowell Dale Wood

Dr. Lowell Dale Wood was born on Feb. 12, 1935 in Kansas City, MO, to Dorsey Edgar Wood and Blanche Edith Dale Wood. The Wood family lived in various small towns located in Central MO. and eventually settled in Columbia, MO. He attended and graduated from David H. Hickman High School and began his initial studies at the University of Missouri. He had a strong faith in God who directed his early life into military service in the United States Air Force where he began his career as a pilot. His career as a pilot overcame one of his other passions and that was to become a professional baseball pitcher. In fact, he declined the opportunity to pitch before a scout with the St. Louis Cardinals. Lowell Dale also had a great love for music and enjoyed various music styles including Opera, Gospel, Classical, Broadway, and many more. It was said by fellow colleagues in his Cadet Air Force albums that the only difference between Mario Lanza and Lowell was that Mario could not fly an airplane. While serving at Lackland Air force Base in San Antonio, TX, he visited a small mission church where he spotted a young woman singing in the choir. Her name was Bertha Eunice Bast. They met, fell in love, and were soon married. He was transferred to El Paso, TX and shortly thereafter, they had their first son, Mark Daniel Wood. Later, they were moved to Fort Worth, TX, where their second son was born, Dale Andrew Wood. Shortly thereafter, the family was transferred to Clinton Sherman Air force base (in Burns Flat), settling in Dill City, OK where their first daughter was born in Sentinel, OK—Debbie Elaine Wood. Shortly thereafter, another daughter was born, Rebekah Faith Wood (who passed away at the age of three due to a childhood illness), and thereafter a son, David Edward Wood (who passed away due to complications in childbirth). Lowell Dale had a passion for fighter jets and flew with a squadron of acrobats until the day he received wise council from a squadron leader who told him that if becoming a family man was his priority, he should seriously consider a multi-engine pilot career. He took that advice and began flying aircraft such as the C-130, B-52, and later KC-135 (flying refueling tanker). He was in a special operations group at this time and was assigned to the Strategic Air Command (SAC). In 1966, he was transferred to Hickam Air force base in Honolulu, HI, where he continued his service with SAC and flew numerous missions in Vietnam War. During his time of service, he never neglected his faith, family, and service to the church. His greatest passion had always been animal husbandry and after 16 years of active duty, he decided to leave the Air force and follow his dream to become a veterinarian. He moved the family back to his homeland in Columbia, MO, and began classes at the University of Missouri where he was accepted into the School of Veterinary Medicine in 1970/71. During his studies at MU, he continued his military career and flew EC-135s on his weekends out of Richards-Gebaur Air Reserve Station in Kansas City, MO. It was during this time; Lowell Dale helped to develop the landing lights at this base and was later recognized and honored for this achievement. In 1975, he graduated from MU with the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and worked for a short period of time at a mixed-animal practice in Windsor, MO. Shortly thereafter, he was recruited and took an assignment with the USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-Veterinary Services in the Brucellosis Eradication for the State Of Alabama. He was successful in these efforts and this disease has since been eradicated from Alabama and neighboring states. He then continued his service within the Regulatory Enforcement of Animal Care overseeing research facilities in the health and welfare of animals for the state of AL. Shortly thereafter, he left his service with the federal government to become the Assistant State Veterinarian for the State of Missouri. During that time, he drafted the animal welfare regulations for the State of Missouri--regulations which are currently in force today and have been hailed by the USDA-APHIS-VS as the template for many other states. He was later recognized and awarded by the State of Missouri for this monumental achievement for animal care. He later retired and moved back to his farm in Alabama where he raised world-class Nubian milk goats as a hobby. Lowell Dale was a consummate animal husbandry man with strong gifts in genetics and blood-line improvement. Throughout his years, he has lived and worked on numerous farms involving multiple show-animal species including dogs, rabbits, chickens, horses, cattle, swine, goats, and sheep. He was a role-model for many and had a special heart for the care of children. Over the course of his life, he and Bertha invited in, and cared for almost 100 children in various capacities. This included foster kids, foreign exchange students, and extended family/friends of many ages/backgrounds. After the death of his wife, Bertha (Dec 2009), he decided to remarry and became wed to Janet Michaels in May 2010. Both moved to Janet’s home in McCalla, AL. He enjoyed living out the remainder of his life with Janet until his passing on Dec. 26, 2016. He was predeceased by his father, Dorsey Edgar Wood, his mother, Blanche Edith Dale Wood, his wife, Bertha Eunice Bast, his daughter, Rebekah Faith Wood, his son, David Edward Wood, his brother Warren Wood, his brother Dorsey Donald Wood, and his sister Wanda Lee Wood Roulston. He is survived by his wife, Janet Michaels Wood, his son, Mark Daniel Wood and wife, Barbara Frederick Wood, and their children, Hannah Danielle Wood and Jessica Anne Wood, his son Dale Andrew Wood and wife Jane Ellen Anderton Wood, and their children Rebekah Faith Wood Phillips and husband, John Robert Thompson Phillips, Dawjr (Dale Andrew Wood Jr.) and wife Becca Franklin Wood and their children Emma and Aubrey Wood, Hannah Lynn Wood, Chara Janelle Wood, and Naomi Leigh Wood, his daughter, Deborah Elaine Wood Allen and husband Jeffrey Wayne Allen and their children, Madison Danielle Allen Kellough, and husband Joshua Ryan Kellough, and their expected baby in June 2017, and son David Landon Allen.

Lowell Dale Wood

February 12, 1935 - December 26, 2016