William Francis Wood

Funeral services for William Francis Wood, 83, will be held on Friday, October 29, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2500 Southside Dr., Shreveport, Louisiana. Burial will follow at Forest Park West Cemetery, 4000 Meriwether Rd. in Shreveport. A visitation will be held Thursday, October 28, 2021 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Officiating the service will be Pastor Chad Hardbarger. William was born December 7, 1937 to Clarence Jefferson Wood, Sr. and Martha Sophronia Longley Wood in Texas City, Texas and passed away at home on Monday, October 25, 2021 from cancer surrounded by his loved ones. William graduated from Texas City High School in 1956. He attended North Texas State University, University of Houston and University of Texas studying art with concentration on sculpture, drawing and painting. UT and UH each recognized him for his outstanding compositions. He moved to Shreveport in 1963 to work with his brother in music instrument repair. It was here he met his wife, Myrna Loy Collier, a local middle school band director. During the 70's he worked as a layout artist, fashion illustrator and display manager for Selber Brothers where his art made the cover of Retail Advertising Weekly on several occasions and won the Seklemain Award in 1972. His ads were the first in Shreveport to use color photography, flora-graphics and flora-color. He was recognized by Arrow Shirt Company for a color ad using arrows for heads in his ad by having a copy of the ad framed in their corporate office in New York. He had art published in national magazines and syndications for worldwide distribution. He illustrated several books for local and out-of-state writers plus wrote and illustrated several children's books of his own unpublished. He designed and built a 6x7 foot baptismal window for Western Hills Baptist Church in addition to several smaller windows for local homes. He designed local logos and national ads. One of William's favorite talents was his music. At the early age of 14, he began to play drums in what he called the local "honky-tonks" of Texas. By the age of 15, he and his best friend, Roland Jordan, had developed a band and had a local radio program every Saturday morning. He played with and for many local and national musicians. He said he went from playing in "honky-tonks" to the rich and famous including President Ford and other well know national personalities. He played for several local productions. His most favorite activity was reading and studying the Word of God. He taught Sunday School and substituted for the pastor on several occasions and wrote articles to the paper about subjects he objected. He always participated in the church music programs and played for programs in other churches. His life and speech always immolated his Christianity in all environments. William was preceded in death by his parents; and by brothers, Clarence Jefferson Wood, Jr., Dan Wood, John Gideon Wood, and sister, Lillian Wood Lothrop. Left to cherish his memory is his wife, Myrna Collier Wood; children, Sophronia Kay Wood Bailes and husband, Gary, Stephen Gilbert Wood and wife, Keri; grandchildren, Lauren Bailes, David Bailes, Lillian Wood Newton and husband, Daniel, Maryssa Nicole Downs Bailes, Jeremy Wayne Wood, Katelyn Elizabeth Wood; and great-grandson, Johnathan Samuel Bailes. Honoring William as pallbearers will be Dwight Collier, Mike Gaddis, Harry Fletcher, Douglas Frey, Gary Palmer, and Herman Palmer.