William Gerald Wood, 79, of Pine died Sunday, March 13, 2016, at St. Tammany Parish Hospital.

He was a member of Pine Missionary Baptist Church and a former U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War Era. Gerald was a longtime history teacher at Franklinton Junior High and later worked in the Tylertown school system.

He also taught night school for over 20 years, helping countless young people throughout his many years of service. Gerald was a former longtime president of the Washington Parish Association of Educators and a past-president of the Washington Parish Retired Teachers Association, and past-president of Washington Parish Master Gardeners. He was also a cattleman and enjoyed tending to his cattle, but especially loved the time spent with his family and grandchildren.

He is survived by: his wife of nearly 53 years, Rita Stuart Wood of Pine; son, William Gerald “Billy” Wood II; granddaughter, Elizabeth Miran Wood; three great-grandchildren, Eathan Chase Wood, Mason Colton Wallace and Adaline Grace Wallace; sisters-in-law, Carol Wood and Christine Wood; nephews, Robert Earl Smith of Tylertown, Miss., Tommy Wood of Illinois, and Michael Wood of Picayune, Miss.; and nieces, Becky Creel of Franklinton, Barbara Smith of Tylertown and Christine Fadley of Indiana.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ard Wood and Christine Warner Wood; brothers, Thomas Wood, Morgan Wood, and Alvin Wood; a sister, Hilda Smith; niece, Belinda Bickham; and nephews, Morgan Wood Jr. and Walton Dale Smith.

Visitation was at Pine Missionary Baptist Church on Wednesday, March 16, from 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. and after 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 17. A funeral service was held at 10 a.m. Thursday in the church with Elder Clyde Cooper and Elder Gerald King officiating. Burial followed in the Wood Cemetery in Walthall County, Miss.

Pallbearers were Dr. Roy Hartfield Jr., Stuart Hartfield, Regan Knight, Matthew Stuart, Rusty Creel and Michael Wood.

Obituaries can be viewed online at www.crainfh.com.