Obituary of Daniel Wayne Wood

Daniel Wayne Wood, (“ Woods”) passed away in his home in Donalda in the early hours of November 16th with his wife by his side. This day marked the end of Dan’s struggle with ALS and gave him the peace he so desired. Dan was born in Castor, Alberta on September 5, 1950 to Lena and William (Bill) Wood. He was the youngest sibling to Bill, Helen and Jack Dabbs. He was a shy boy who grew up with his bike, his dog and his friends. Dan started working as a surveyor which gave him the opportunity to travel all over Alberta and Saskatchewan. He once surveyed in Newfoundland where he was using one of the first GPS instruments for the job. He always had a keen interest in wildlife and bird watching became his lifelong passion. His birdwatching took him to 18 countries throughout the world. On April 26th, 1974 Daniel married Gwendolyn Cherkas in Calgary where they lived for a year. To this union two children, Dylan and Norah, were born in 1975 and 1977 respectively. They initially raised the children in Stony Plain but moved in 1983 to the acreage in Fleet where they renovated the old school. Dan loved the solid structure of the building. He loved the serenity in Fleet and encouraged the growth of trees by carefully hauling water to all of his trees. The garden was huge. Dan retired from surveying in 1997 to start a new business: Wild Prairie Photographics Ltd. where the photographer “captures a moment in time”. He found a wealth of new love when his first grandchild was born in 2001. He has five grandchildren who range in age from 5 to 12. He always enjoyed being with the grandkids, whether it was rocking them in his arms, playing hockey at the rink, or reading stories before bed. Dan and Gwen moved to Drayton Valley in 2003 where Dan’s photographic career grew by moving into the Digital world. He was a member of the Professional Photographers of Canada and had earned his CPA (Craftsman of Photographic Arts) and his MPA (Masters of Photographic Arts). Dan and Gwen had recently moved to Donalda and were enjoying their new home when their journey with ALS began. Dan was extremely brave in the fight against the ALS but succumbed to the disease on Saturday morning. Dan is survived by his loving wife, Gwen of Donalda, his son, Dylan (Heidi) of Calgary, and their children, Spencer and Miles, and his daughter Norah (Edward) Griffiths of Coronation and their children, Michael, Damien, and Emma, his brother, Bill (Carol) Dabbs of Kelowna, his sister, Helen VanKoughnett of Edmonton, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Dan was pre-deceased by his father, Bill Wood, his mother, Lena Wood, and his brother, Jack Dabbs and his brother-in-law, Reg VanKoughnett. The funeral service will be held at 2 pm Friday, November 22, 2013 at the Stettler Funeral Home in Stettler Alberta. Friends and Family may wish to donate to the ALS Society in lieu of flowers. He was a truly great man.