Obit: Wood, John Benson (1934 - 2017)

Transcriber: Robert Lipprandt
bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Benson, Bunkelman, Clark, Coyne, Drazek, Eno, Graveen, Kress, Laughnan, Ludwig, Lueddecke, Marble, Mintz, Nitzsche, Raether, Schneck, Standingcloud, Stephenson, Wood, Wood-Mintz, Young, Zawislan

----Source: The Tribune - Phonograph (Abbotsford, WI) 11/04/2017

Wood, John Benson PhD, (11 OCT 1934 - 1 NOV 2017)

John Benson Wood, PhD, age 83, of Abbotsford, died at home on Nov. 1, 2017, under the care of his family and Hope Hospice.

John was born on Oct. 11, 1934, in Ames, Iowa, the third child of Lyman Wentch and Alice Mae (Benson) Wood. He and Mavis Kress Lueddecke were married on Nov. 14, 1992.

John was an accomplished educator and researcher, receiving his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1956, and doctorate in mathematics from the University of Minnesota in 1968. He was an assistant professor at the Hampton Institute in Virginia and at the University of North Dakota. He was a research psychologist at St. Louis State Hospital in Missouri, and an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin, Marathon County, from 1981 to 1993.
He took the road less traveled. He was a conscientious objector and did his alternative service at United Church of Christ’s missionary school in Tarsus, Turkey, from 1956 to 1959. He was active in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, taking his first professorship at Hampton Institute, a historically black college in Hampton, Va. in 1968. He was also active in the anti-war movement of the 1970s, assisting many young men who shared his conscientious objections of war to avoid participation in the Viet Nam conflict.

His passionate conviction for the value of research led him to arrange the donation of his brain to the Wisconsin Brain Donor Program. There was no stopping him. He was an avid Mah Jongg player. He enjoyed living in rural Wisconsin, but loved international travel. He journeyed with Mavis to Ukraine, Russia, Canada, Turkey, Italy, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Jamaica and the Bahamas; and Guadaloupe (with his daughter Judy, and her family on their 40 foot sailboat). He treasured a two-week road trip to the National Parks with Mavis and his grandson, Benjamin.

He is survived by his wife, Mavis (Kress Lueddecke) Wood; daughter, Judith Wood Mintz, son-in-law, Bill Mintz, and their children Alice and Thomas Young, Noah (Ellie Marble) Mintz and Benjamin Mintz; daughter, Betsy (Thomas Coyne) Wood; son, James Eagle Standingcloud (Sheila) and James’ sons James Jr., Trevor (Larissa) and their sons Leo and Daniel.

He is also survived by his step-children, Leon and Diane Lueddecke and their children Dana and Lance; Lorin Lueddecke (Dawn Nitzsche); Linda and Randy Graveen and their children Ariel and Gina; Bruce Lueddecke (Deb Drazek) and his children Alec (Chelsea Bunkelman), Tessa, and Lara; David and Sandy Lueddecke and their children Ashley (Ken Clark), Justin and Jessica Lueddecke and their children Isabella, Declan, and Johanna; Christopher and Kelsey Lueddecke, and Nicholas (Brandi Zawislan); Karen and Bruce Raether and his daughter Natashia (Brandt) Laughnan and daughters Aiyana and Kailan; Jeanie and Rick Ludwig; Beth and Chuck Eno and their children Amber (Kyle Rodgers), Megan, Bryce, and Tyler. He is also survived by his beloved and faithful cat, Rambo. He valued family and cherished his relationships with his nieces, nephews and their families.

He was predeceased by his first wife, Janis Irene (Schneck) Wood; granddaughter, Kayla Lueddecke; parents; brother Lyman Robert Wood; and sister Ruth, (Wood) Stephenson.

Memorial services, Catholic and Quaker, were held at St. Louis Catholic Church, 133 N. Third St., Dorchester, WI 54425 on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017. Visitation started at 2 p.m., services began at 4 p.m., dinner followed.

In lieu of flowers, please direct memorials to the American Friends Service Committee, 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia, PA 19102 or Catholic Relief Services, 228 W. Lexington St., Baltimore, MD 21201.

Many thanks to Hope Hospice for their careful, prompt, skilled and attentive care.