William "Leon" Wood

W. Leon Wood Obituary William “Leon” Wood (87) passed away on Monday, April 13 in Birmingham, AL He was the son of the late George Nathan Wood and Elza Curry Wood. He is survived by his wife Frances (Fran) Haskett Wood and his two sons, Lee Wood and Brian (Shari) Wood. He has two grandchildren, Matthew (Jessica) and Rebecca, two great grandchildren, Elia and Nahai and a brother Anthony (Esther). Leon and Fran were happily married for 65 years and would have celebrated their 66th in two weeks. Leon was born in Gwinnett County in the Haynes Creek community. He graduated from Conyers High School in 1956 and worked at Callaway Mills in Milstead, GA for a short time. From there, he began his career as a draftsman with Southern Engineering Company in Atlanta and was part of an engineering team that mapped powerlines across several states. These mapping jobs eventually led him to Pickens, SC where he worked with the REA power system to map power lines in and around the Pickens county area. It was during this time that he met Fran, whom he often referred to as the love of his life. While living in Decatur, he and Fran were active members of Avondale First Baptist Church where he became a deacon. He began his career with Liberty National Life in 1964 and worked with this company for 44 years, serving in different capacities and increasing responsibilities in locations including Griffin, Ga., Alton, Il., and Rockford, IL. While working with Liberty National Life, Leon dedicated himself to learning the intricacies of financial planning and investments. This dedication pushed him to seek more knowledge regarding the insurance industry as well as financial planning. His diligence allowed him to complete specialized certifications and degrees including his LUTC & FLMI titles. He also achieved the coveted Chartered Life Underwriting (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) certifications. He continued his education to complete two Masters degrees. The Master of Science in Management (MSDM) and the Master of Science in Financial Services (MSFS). As he advanced in his career, Leon moved from Rockford, IL to Birmingham, AL in 1983 and continued his work with Liberty National in the Training Department for many years, retiring from full time work in 2003. He continued working part-time for 5 years where he enjoyed working with people requiring financial guidance. He loved to work on challenging tasks and never backed away from working through confusing and difficult financial situations. For many years, he was involved with serving as a Cubmaster, a recreational basketball and baseball leagues coach. He also served as a Sunday School teacher to 6th & 7th grade boys. While living in Rockford, he served as a visiting businessman for Junior Achievement where he mentored young people in business basics and finance. He also served on the local Boy Scouts of America Council. Leon enjoyed building and fixing things. He was a classic “shade tree mechanic” and would work on cars as time allowed. He was able to build a customized camping van that he and his family would take on vacations across the United States. He was also a master woodworker and designed and built a variety of furniture and cabinet components. He could build just about anything he could visualize whether it be made of wood, concrete, bricks, or metal. He and Fran were world travelers visiting 83 foreign countries and all 50 states. He was a hard worker and was always willing to help someone in need. Funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 25 at Holly Springs Baptist Church in Pickens, SC with visitation beginning at 1:00 followed by the memorial service, A CELEBRATION OF LIFE will be held after the memorial service at the Holly Springs Baptist Church Reception Hall.

William "Leon" Wood

November 4, 1938 - April 13, 2026