Bernard Frank Wood

Bernard Frank Wood, known simply as “Woody” to his family and friends, passed away at the age of 90 Friday, September 18, 2026 after a long battle with cancer. A Celebration of Life will be held at 12:00 on Sunday, November 1 at the Cedaredge SDA Church, followed by a graveside service at the Cedaredge Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Woody's name to HopeWest Hospice Care, Delta or Montrose.

Woody lived a life defined by service, hard work, humility, love, and an abundance of laughter.

He was born in 1936 in the small town of Granola, Oklahoma, to Edmond and Verna (Martin) Wood. He was the fourth child in what would become a family of eight. They didn't grow up with much in the way of material wealth, but they never seemed to lack entertainment. The six of them could find something to laugh about almost anywhere—and usually did.

That sense of humor became part of the bond they carried throughout their lives. No matter how old they got, when the six of them were together, a little bit of childhood seemed to return with them. There were stories told and retold, relentless teasing, practical jokes, and an endless supply of one-liners. The laughter that began in that little Oklahoma home stayed with them for a lifetime. Woody was the last surviving sibling of the six.

Woody's lifelong connection to Western Colorado began when he was a freshman in high school. His father purchased a peach farm in Montrose, Colorado, and the family relocated to the place Woody would always regard as home.

After graduating from Montrose High School in 1954, Woody enlisted in the United States Air Force. This began a distinguished 20-year military career that included three tours in Vietnam. During his service, he earned numerous prestigious awards and decorations, including two Distinguished Flying Crosses with Valor.

Woody retired from the Air Force in 1975, but military service became part of the family legacy. His sons Steven and Michael, and later his grandchildren Cody, Willie, Cassie, and Carolyn, each answered the call to serve their country, carrying forward the family tradition of service before self.

Woody shared 56 years of his life with his wife, Debbie, who was just 21 years old when they met. Woody was already the proud father of four when their story began. Together, he and Debbie blended a family and later welcomed two daughters of their own. The military took them from Colorado to California, then Maine, and eventually back home to Colorado when Woody's military service ended. They built their life in Eckert, centered on their children, rooted in hard work, and filled with plenty of outdoor adventures.

Woody worked for Burns Security at the Westmoreland Coal Mine for 13 years until it closed, and then went on to work for the Colorado Department of Corrections for another 7 years before retiring in 1996.

Woody was a quiet man who was passionate about three things: his garden, the Colorado outdoors, and his family.

His garden was about much more than growing food. It certainly helped feed his family, but it also became one of the many places where Woody quietly taught some of life's most important lessons—discipline, patience, responsibility, hard work, and the tender care required to help something grow.

And then there were the flowers.

Woody's flowers were amazing. Every week throughout the summer, he cut the best ones, carried them into the house, and put fresh flowers in a vase for his bride. For a man who spent so much of his life doing the practical things that needed to be done, the flowers were something different. They were simply beautiful and bringing them inside to Debbie brought him joy.

With a large family, there wasn't extra money for fancy family vacations. Instead, there were fishing trips, camping adventures, hunting excursions, ATV rides through the mountains, and evenings around the campfire. Woody was happiest outdoors with the people he loved or, as he liked to call it, “going up in the hills and kicking around.”

Many of life's lessons were taught to his children and grandchildren in those mountains. Woody taught them how to navigate rough roads, how to get themselves unstuck, how to work with their hands, solve problems, and keep going when things didn't go according to plan. He also taught them that when someone took a wrong turn and got lost, family showed up for one another.

Woody's greatest joy—and greatest source of pride—was his family. When they were together, his laughter was never far away. It was the unmistakable laugh of a schoolboy who had just gotten away with something—and knowing Woody, there was a pretty good chance he had.

Even at 90, that laugh came easily. His quick wit remained sharp, and there always seemed to be another one-liner waiting. Even as cancer took its toll, it couldn't take his sense of humor or his ability to make the people around him laugh. When words became harder to find, Woody still found a way to say what he was thinking.

He would give a wink...and a little smile.

For a man who didn't spend much time sitting in church, Woody sure knew a lot about heaven. Heaven was a place he found often—up in the mountains, out in his garden, sitting beside a fire, watching the night sky to see who could spot the first star, riding down a dusty trail, or simply sharing a laugh with the family he loved.

And perhaps the greatest gift Woody gave his family was that he created a little bit of heaven for them here. He filled their lives with laughter, lessons that mattered, adventure, and love.

Woody spent 90 years quietly showing his family what mattered. His lessons will live on in their work ethic, the love they share, the joy they find in simple things, and the laughter that comes as naturally as breathing.

What a gift it was to have been loved by Woody.

His wife, Debbie, 6 Children (Steve, Eddie, Mike, MaryAnn, Rebecca, and Rhonda), 13 grandkids, and 19 great-grandchildren will miss him and be thankful for the memories they made with him.