Harold Bell Wood Jr. , longtime volunteer with the Texas Baptist Men cabinetmakers, died Sept. 8. He was 92. He was born to Harold Bell Wood Sr. and Myrtle Howell Wood on May 27, 1933, in Stephenville. He married his high school sweetheart, Rosemary Spindor, on Aug. 8, 1953. After graduating from North Texas State University in 1955 with a degree in chemistry, he worked briefly with the U.S. Customs Department in New Orleans before beginning his career with Dow Chemical Company in Freeport. He retired from Dow Chemical after 34 years at age 57 and began his second career as a volunteer woodworker after he inherited a workshop from his uncle. He became skilled at cabinetmaking, furniture making and carpentry. While he enjoyed making gifts for friends and family, he found his true calling serving with Texas Baptist Men—now Texans on Mission—and Habitat for Humanity. As a longtime Baptist layman, he was familiar with TBM, and he joined the TBM cabinetmaking team in 1992. Over the next 25 years, he worked on projects at churches, seminaries and encampments across Texas and beyond. Highlights included working on My Father’s House in Lubbock, major renovations at Palacios Baptist Encampment and work on the Canadian Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and College near Cochrane, Alberta, as well as a mission trip to Sri Lanka. He also benefitted his local community, working with Habitat for Humanity on 104 homebuilding projects. When he sold his home and moved into a retirement community, he donated all of his tools to Texans on Mission. He served many years both at First Baptist Church in Freeport and later at First Baptist Church in Lake Jackson, where he was a deacon. He and his wife Rosemary often served together, teaching in preschool and elementary Sunday school classes, ministering to widows and participating in missions. They served together 20 years as director and secretary of a senior adult Sunday School class at First Baptist in Lake Jackson. He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Rosemary Spindor Wood; daughter Jerilynn Armstrong and husband Don; son Steven Wood and his wife Mary Jo; son Larry Wood; six grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Sue Kelley. Services are scheduled Sept. 13 at Lacy Funeral Home in Stephenville. Family visitation will be held at 1 p.m. with the service following at 2 p.m. A memorial service also is scheduled at 1 p.m. on Sept. 27 at First Baptist Church in Lake Jackson, followed by a reception in the church parlor. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to Texans on Mission , First Baptist Church in Lake Jackson or Southern Brazoria County Habitat for Humanity .
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