Devon Jean Wood

Devon Wood, 37, died peacefully on Sunday, January 21 at the palliative care unit at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. Devon was diagnosed with ALS. She passed away on her own terms with support from her medical care team and with her family present.

Devon was born August 7, 1986 in Victoria, BC. She grew up in Nanaimo. She attended Dover Bay Secondary school and studied nursing at Vancouver Island University, where she graduated in 2012. Devon completed a specialization as an Operating Room Nurse at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, and returned to Nanaimo to work in the operating room at NRGH.

Devon was a gifted nurse with a passion for helping others. She participated in a Health for Humanity sponsored trip to Guatemala where she worked with a team of other nurses and surgeons to provide surgery for those in need living in remote communities. Her passion for nursing led her to pursue a career in teaching. She worked as a clinical instructor of nursing at Vancouver Island University and completed her Masters of Adult Education at the University of New Brunswick in 2023. After graduating, Devon had accepted a regular faculty position in the BSN program at VIU but was then diagnosed with ALS.

Devon was a self-professed fantasy nerd. She loved Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings. She was an avid world traveler, a connoisseur of fine wines, and more than anything loved swimming in the ocean.

Devon lived out her final days with grace and poise, showered by the love of her friends and family. She inspired everyone with her strength, positivity, and love of life even as her illness progressed. Devon never lost her sense of humor, laughing and joking right until the very end.

Devon is survived by her mother Glenys Wood, her father Doug Wood, her brother Glenn Wood and her beloved french bulldog Bastian.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Nanaimo Golf Club on March 9, 2024 at 2pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that those who wish to send their condolences provide a donation to the ALS Society of BC, Health for Humanity or the Nanaimo Hospital Foundation.