Leighton "William" Wood

William Wood was born on March 30, 1945, and he went to be with the Lord on April 29, 2026, at the age of 81. Born the 5th of 12 children, his early years were spent working on the family farm and tending to livestock. He later hopped on a freight train to California, where his life would begin. While living in California, William would meet his wife Patricia better known as Patty. Though they wouldn’t remain married, they remained very good friends until her passing in 2007.

William and Patty would move to Oregon where they would have 3 wonderful children, while working in a feedlot and putting up hay for his hay business. They would leave Oregon in 1979 to start a new adventure in Oklahoma where William worked for the city of Durant, putting in a water system. Soon, they would be off on another adventure.

This adventure would lead them back to where their story began, California. William would spend the next 40 years in Springville raising kids, grandkids, cattle, horses and the occasional goat. William was a man of vast talents from doctoring livestock, fixing fence, fixing a tractor, framing a house or just the general know how on almost everything. William never feared a hard days work or a challenge.

When William wasn’t working or spending with family, he liked to spend his time at local Cattle sorting’s, Mule days in Bishop, hunting in Montana, but most of all he loved being in the backcountry with friends. Most summers you could guarantee he would have a backcountry trip or two planned, whether it be to Pecks Canyon, The Little Kern, Rifle Creek, or where he wants his ashes spread in Rattlesnake. He loved spending a night under the stars, fishing for trout in the creeks and pulling a string of horse and mules.

In May of 2021, William left California for his last adventure in Pocatello, Idaho. While living in Idaho he would enjoy his retirement by fishing and going to Oklahoma to see his siblings.

William would ultimately pass away at home April 29, 2026, after a long-fought battle with cancer.

William is survived by 8 of his 12 siblings: his 3 children, Michael (Beth) Wood, Angela (Ron) Keeling, and Jodi (Paul) Wood: 4 grandchildren, Amy Keeling, Jacob (Kayla) Wood, David Wood, and Lillie Wood.

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