Eileen McRae Wood

July 18, 1924 - June 10, 2017

Eileen McRae Wood, 92, passed away peacefully surrounded by her children and grandchildren on June 10, 2017. She was born July 18, 1924 in Buffalo, N.Y. She was the eldest of 4 children and outlived all her siblings and most of the movie stars from her generation. She was a pre-med student at St. Bonaventure’s College but was not able to continue because of WWII. She worked for the phone company as an operator during which time she met her future husband, Miles C. Wood, while answering his calls as a state trooper. Eileen married Miles in 1951 and went on to have 5 children. Her family was her life. She was a spirited person of enormous faith and a member of St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Boca Raton, Fl. After having 5 children, she went on to complete her Bachelor’s Degree in Science Education and became a science teacher. She then returned to school to get her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. She taught science for nearly 20 years in both middle and high school. Eileen was very proud of her Irish heritage and incorporated many Irish expressions and traditions into her life. Her children were her wealth and she felt luckier than a millionaire to have the love of her children. As a person, she was always encouraging and imparting hope to all family and friends. In her later years, her children came together to provide her with love, support, and a level of care that most people will never know. She would light up when any of the family would come to visit her. She will be sorely missed by her children and their spouses Kathy and Scott Matchunis, Buzz and Tyler Wood, Susanne Wood, Kevin Wood and Marina Polyakova, and Brian and Diane Wood as well as her grandchildren: Jameson and Austin More, Dan and Alex Wood, Michael and Melina Matchunis, Haley Wood, Joey Genta, Payton and Cooper Wood and Katie Lobuzova. Eileen found a way to celebrate life in every way possible. She was an avid FSU Seminoles fan and she will be rooting for them from Heaven. She definitely had the “fun gene” which she passed on to all her children. A celebration of her life will be announced later. Donations in honor of Eileen McRae Wood can be made to Big Bend Hospice at www.bigbendhospice.org or Big Bend Hospice 1723 Mahan Center Blvd., Tallahassee, Fl. 32308.