1925 – 2005

Billy Gene Wood, 79, a Fort Worth orthodontist, passed away Saturday, March 5, 2005, after a long bout with cancer.
Funeral: 2 p.m. Thursday at All Saints Episcopal Church. Burial: Greenwood Memorial Park. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Greenwood Funeral Home.

Memorials: in lieu of flowers, the Salvation Army, 1855 E. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth, Texas 76103.

Dr. Billy Gene Wood was a graduate of Baylor University and Baylor College of Dentistry and earned his M.S.D. in orthodontics from Northwestern University in Chicago.

A veteran of World War II, Dr. Wood was commissioned a Navy ensign and fighter pilot at age 17. He served on the USS Wasp, USS Lexington and the USS Franklin. He was a graduate of the Air War College and National War College. He was awarded the General Jimmy Doolittle Fellow along with the Navy Cross, the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. He flew F6F-3 Hellcats and he saw action in the Battle of Leyte Gulf invasion of the Philippines and Tarawa. He served as an orthodontic consultant at Carswell Air Force Base for 34 years.

During his life he received many honors including the Distinguished Alumnus by Baylor Dental Alumni Association. He served as secretary of the Baylor College of Dentistry Century Club, past president of the Fort Worth District Dental Society and past chairman of the Westside Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. He founded the Fort Worth Civic Leaders Association in 1976 and instituted the first Fort Worth Military Ball in 1979. He received the Department of Defense Exceptional Service Award presented by Secretary of Defense Weinberger and won Fort Worth District Dental Society’s Veteran Honor Award.

Dr. Wood had been a Sunday school teacher, chairman of the Weatherford Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Parker County Sheriff’s Posse, past president of Weatherford Noon Lions Club, founder and president of the Chisholm Trail Days and chairman of the Weatherford Peach Festival.

Dr. Wood was a fellow in the American College of Dentists and also a fellow in the International College of Dentists. He was a member of the American Association of Orthodontics, Texas Dental Association, Fort Worth District Dental Society, Texas Tweed Society, the Southwestern Society of Orthodontics, the Texas Association of Orthodontics and the Tarrant County Society of Orthodontists.

Survivors: Wife of 49 years, Carol Hall Wood; son, William Millard Wood; daughter, Susan Wood Torpy and husband, Art Torpy; son, Steven Charles Wood and wife, Stacey McKay Wood; and grandchildren, Wil and Abby Torpy and Reilly, Zöe and Amy Wood.
Published in the Star-Telegram from 3/8/2005 – 3/9/2005.