Charles Edward Wood

Charles E. Wood, our greatly loved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and brother, left to be with his Lord in Heaven on December 23, 2021. He passed quietly at his home with family by his side, waiting for the first glimmer of sunlight on his beloved Sandia Mountains.

Charlie was born on November 17, 1937, in Oklahoma City, OK to Victor and Ida Wood. After moving first to Riverside, CA and then to Fort Worth, TX, Charlie and his family finally settled in Albuquerque. Charlie was a proud graduate of Highland High School's Class of 1955 and he enjoyed recounting his time playing on the school's state champion football team.

After graduation, Charlie headed to Waco, TX to attend Baylor University. Thanks to Baylor's tradition of seating student's alphabetically in chapel, he noticed a pretty coed seated nearby. In what would become a classic family story, Charlie used his position as president of his service club to have the young lady named as the club's Sweetheart, just to have an excuse to take her to a dance. His plan worked and ultimately, he married Marcia Lee White in June of 1959. The two moved to Dallas where Charlie attended Baylor Dental School, and then to Reno, NV where he served two years as a dentist in the Air Force before returning to Albuquerque to establish his own dental practice. His desire was always to take excellent care of his patients and to share what he learned with other dentists in Albuquerque.

Charlie had a life-long love of the outdoors. Despite getting lost on his first hike in the Sandias, Charlie became an avid hiker and backpacker. He had many tales to tell from the summer he worked for the Forest Service and from a great many family camping trips. As great as his love for the mountains was, he perhaps loved sharing them with others even more. He was a scoutmaster for several years and led his troop on many outdoor adventures. More recently, he volunteered for many years as a Trail Watch Volunteer for Albuquerque Open Spaces. Whether he was meeting people at the Open Spaces Visitor Center or working hard to keep Pino Trail in excellent condition, or leading others on hikes in the Bosque, Charlie had a passion for educating others about our amazing New Mexico environments. He was a friend, mentor and hero to many.

Charlie is survived by his son Stephen Wood and wife Ilaria Derr, daughter Michelle and husband Sam Mouck, grandson Robert and wife Tiffany Mouck, granddaughter Adrienne Mouck, brother Vern and wife Sally Wood, and many other loved family members. He was preceded in death by his wife Marcia, and his sister Sue Williams. A memorial service for Charlie will be held 1:00pm, January 25 at Hoffmantown Church. If desired, donations may be made to: Steelbridge (formerly called Albuquerque Rescue Mission) and the NM BioPark.