DONALD (POKEY) WOOD, FUHS '50

Wood, Donald E., 74, of La Verne, passed away on Jan. 2, 2007. Born in Long Beach, Calif. on Dec. 27, 1932, Don is survived by his wife, Sandra; children, Claudia, Michael and Patrick; their spouses; 6 grandchildren; 6 stepchildren; 9 step-grandchildren, and many family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Eva, Emmett and Kermit Wood, FUHS '53. Don's life was centered on football. He played football at Fullerton High and College, while in the Army, for the semipro Orange County Rhinos, appearing as an extra in the 1974 movie The Longest Yard. He encouraged his sons when they played Pop Warner and school football. He was a die-hard USC fan, joking that he had cardinal and gold in his veins. He was known for his USC tailgate parties and for giving everyone USC gear for each occasion. During the '50s and '60s, Don served as a patrol officer and a detective for the Anaheim Police Dept. He worked as a painting contractor from the '70s through November 2006. As a boy in Buena Park, he learned to make great tacos, when he helped in his mother's restaurant. He met his wife Sandra while making tacos at the Elks Club. Don loved trout fishing in the Sierras, enjoyed NASCAR races, trips in the RV, dinner club meetings, and friends at the High Brow. Don touched a lot of people and made many good friends. He always had a smile, a joke to share, and would give anything he had to his friends. He married five times, remained close to, and was loved by his family. Fight on, D.W.! In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Veterans Admin. Hospital, Loma Linda, Home Health Care Dept. Memorial - noon, Sat., Jan. 6, 2006.

Published in the Orange County Register on 1/6/2007.