Rev. Dr. Roger Wayne Wood

The Rev. Dr. Roger Wayne Wood passed away on June 2, 2019 at Jacksonville, FL after a short illness. A native of Spartanburg, South Carolina, Wayne was born on October 5, 1941, and graduated from Lone Oak Elementary School in 1954, and Fairforest High School (pre-Dorman High School) in 1959. At Fairforest he excelled at football and baseball, also playing Spartanburg American Legion baseball for 3 years. He graduated from Wofford College in 1963 majoring in Foreign Languages and playing football four years ‘59-‘63. Wayne used his French, German, and Spanish on the 30 + European and 5 Asian Mission trips on which he personally led church teams, witnessing in many cultures. He especially loved Northeastern France (Strasbourg and Metz areas) during 20 years of international ministry from 1983-2003.

Wayne also graduated from Duke University Divinity School (M.Div.), and Vanderbilt University Divinity School (D. Min.), doing further graduate work at Lutheran Seminaries in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and in Columbia, South Carolina. Wayne served churches in North Carolina, Illinois, South Carolina and Pennsylvania. He retired in 2005 after 38 years, slowed by cardiac arrhythmia. During his ministry he pioneered as the first pastor of three different congregations. His church starts included Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Sylva-Cullowhee (Love’s Field), North Carolina. Wayne moved to Jacksonville FL in 2006 and then to Hendersonville NC in 2013.

Wayne is survived by his lifetime sweetheart, Catherine Elaine, and two daughters, Cindy Tuccelli of Jacksonville, FL, and Janet Wood Evans (Jim) of Greenville, SC. He and Elaine have 7 grandchildren: Kimberly Walters, Julian Jewell, and James Tuccelli of Jacksonville, FL; and Meredith and Coleman Morningstar of Greenville SC; Anthony and Mackenzie Evans of Greenville, SC. They have one great granddaughter, Bella Nicole Bond, of Jacksonville, FL. Wayne was predeceased by his brother, James Edwin, a Marine casualty of Vietnam (1967), and by two daughters, Deborah Clarissa Wood (1974) and Teresa Maria Wood (1982). He is survived by his brother, Osborne Glenn (Patricia) of Greenville, SC, and two nephews, Jeff Wood (Margaret) and James Wood; and by a sister, Marylyn Wright (Gary) of Winston Salem with two nephews Joe Hawkins and Jonathan Hawkins (Christine) and niece Tonya Lanier(Bobby).

During his life, Wayne also was an author, an international minister, a linguist, and an international traveler. He spent a major portion of 2005 in Vietnam doing missionary work by teaching English as a second language. He wrote many reviews of classical music performances for Amazon.com over the years. His favorite pieces of music were Johannes Brahm’s German Requiem and Guiseppe Verdi’s Requiem. After his ministry retirement, Wayne served some years as a Family Service Counselor for Hardage-Giddens Funeral Homes (SCI) in Jacksonville, FL, also serving as occasional pulpit supply and marriage officiant. He was a stewardship Leader and Sunday School teacher for Trinity Lutheran Church, in Jacksonville, FL. Wayne never lost his Carolinas love and touch. He was always a Gamecock, but graduated from Wofford & Duke. He always reveled in his Spartanburg origins and his many elementary and high school (especially the “Southern Shops Gang”) and church friends of over 50+ years.

Funeral arrangements are through Woodlawn Funeral Homes, Greenville, SC. Funeral service will be held at Woodlawn Memorial Park, Wade Hampton Blvd. in Greenville, SC. (on Wade Hampton Blvd.,) US 29, across from Red Lobster restaurant in Greenville, SC at 11:00am with visitation at 10:am June 8, 2019. There will be a memorial service in Jacksonville, FL at Southside Methodist Church, 3120 Hendricks Ave. at 11:00am on June 22, 2019.

Wayne wants you to know: he’ll “see y’all later.”