John Daniel Wood, 63, “Big John” is what he referred to himself as, passed away as result of a fatal ATV accident in the OwyheeMountainson October 29, 2011. He died doing what he loved most, living life to the fullest. His favorite saying was “Life Is Good”. He had a good life. He was born to Cecil (Moose) and Edna (Pearson) Wood, both of Melba, on December 2, 1947 in Nampa. He owned and operated Wood Pump Co. for 40 years. He never met a challenge that he didn’t meet head-on, whether it be a competition or just trying to build something. If he couldn’t find what he was looking for in a store, he fabricated it. He was an absolute genius in creating whatever it took to get the job done. Many people looked to him for help, which he was always ready to give. “Big John” never met a stranger. Young or old, rich or poor, it didn’t matter to him. He had the gift of gab and didn’t hesitate to use it. “Big John” had a vast array of friends who shared his love of many sports. He was an avid drag racer at Firebird Raceway where he was a member of the Melba Outlaws race team. There he bonded with many including the New Team (owners of the racetrack) who was always supportive and became like family to him. He was proud of his race team members who have taken 1st Place many times. He was a competitive pool player, having played for the Cook’s Two-Holer Bar in Melba for 27 years. There again, he had a great team of players that took 1st Place. They too were guys he was extremely proud of. When he wasn’t doing either of those activities he was snowmobiling or riding his 4-wheeler. He loved SilverCity and the Owyhee Mountains and spent endless hours there. No moss grew under him. He was always on the go. He would put all this aside for his family. If an occasion came up with one of the granddaughters or sons, he was there. He enjoyed being a member of the Nampa Elk’s Lodge #1389 for 34 years, getting together to cheer on the Boise State Broncos. He was a loving husband to his wife of almost 46 years, Sandy, a cherished father to his sons Troy Wood and Jake (Skee) Wood both of Nampa, and an awesome grandpa to Libertee and Lily Wood.
Survivors include his wife, their sons, daughter-in-law, granddaughters, sister Gayle Wood of Boise and J.D. (Sylvan) Adamson of Nampa, his nieces, nephews and numerous cousins.
A celebration will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, November 5, 2011 at the Melba High School south gymnasium, 6870 Stokes Ave. A viewing will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, November 4th at the Zeyer Funeral Chapel, 83 N Midland Blvd, Nampa. (467-7300). Burial will be at Melba Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Melba Quick Response Unit, 109 4th St. Melba, ID 83641.