Christopher Kent Wood, 74, departed from this life on Tuesday October 29, 2024, after a long illness. He is survived by his loving partner of 20 years, Virginia Mills, and her daughter Veronica Mills of Wellesley, Mass.; his two children, Julie (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Kevin (Waitsfield, Vt.); and his five younger siblings, Pamela Clare (Bedford, Mass.); Jonathan Wood (Corpus Christi, Tex.); Samuel Wood (Kismet, N.Y.); Fred Wood (Medford, N.Y.); and Wendy Kaler (Sayville, N.Y.).
Chris was born to the late Jean and Francis Wood on July 15, 1950, the first of their six children. He grew up in Port Washington, N.Y. and graduated from Paul D. Schreiber High School. He went on to attend Adelphi University, where he majored in Sociology and Secondary Education; the University of Connecticut, where he received a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling; and the University of Maryland, where he received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology.
He became a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor in 1976 and maintained his certification for decades, in addition to being a Certified Disability Management Specialist. He rose through the ranks to senior management at General Rehabilitation Services, Inc., headquartered in Maryland. In 1992, after always dreaming of being his own boss, he started a business: Injury Management Resources, Inc., which offered medical and vocational case management of workers’ compensation and disability claims. In 2005, he was proud to sell the business to MCMC LLC. After the sale, he worked as a rehabilitation and career counselor and a vocational expert, providing expert opinions in worker’s compensation cases and helping people get benefits and vocational training. He was passionate about guiding people to careers that were right for them. He also taught graduate courses at schools including Sargent College, Assumption College and Salve Regina University, and published articles in a variety of journals.
Chris inherited musical talent from his mother Jean, and music was a huge part of his life. He played the bass in a band called the Best of Both Worlds as a teenager. Alongside his cousin Doug, the guitarist, they played at venues around Long Island in the late 1960s. He played the piano and flute at home and sang throughout his life, including at church services, as a member of St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Wellesley, Mass., and he was honored to perform at Symphony Hall with the Boston Community Choir at Gospel Night at the Pops in 2006-2007.
Chris loved exercising and being outdoors. He was an outstanding tennis player, taking after his dad Fer, and spent time teaching at the Nick Bollettieri tennis academy in Florida. He taught his children how to play tennis and how to cross-country ski, and he spent countless hours playing basketball with them in the driveway at their house in Littleton, Mass. Ginna helped to improve his golf game, and he loved to play with her and Veronica at Braeburn Country Club in Newton, Mass. He instilled a love of sports in his kids and rooted fervently alongside them for the Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox, savoring championships and frequently sharing Boston Globe coverage and columns.
As he got older, he got sick of the cold weather, and he and Ginna escaped to their home in Sanibel, Fla. as much as they could. He loved to surf, swim, sail and vacation near the ocean. With Ginna and Veronica, he visited beaches from Sanibel to Fire Island, N.Y. to York, Maine to Newport, R.I. In all of those places, bike rides were a frequent activity and source of joy.
He also inherited the Wood family sense of humor and gift for storytelling. He appreciated a colorful character and made his family laugh with imitations and quips.
Chris struggled for years with a rare dementia that led to him being confined to a wheelchair. He never once complained during these years, and he was very well-liked by his caregivers, a testimony to his kind and gentle character. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
Visiting hours will be held at George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 477 Washington St., Wellesley, Mass. from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 7. A funeral mass will be held at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, 502 Washington St., Wellesley, Mass., at 11 a.m. on Friday, November 8. There will be a celebration of life service following the funeral at 12:30 at Braeburn Country Club, 326 Fuller St., Newton, Mass. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Covenant House at covenanthouse.org.