Col. Harold B. Woods

Funeral Services with Full Military Honors for Col. Harold B. Woods, age 95 of Bonham, TX will be held on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at 2:00 PM at Wise Funeral Home Chapel in Bonham. Officiating will be Rev. Mike Burt. Col. Woods passed away on May 18, 2018. He was born October 31, 1922 in Cross Plains, Texas to Plaz Marion Woods & Mamie Elizabeth Henson Woods.

Col. Harold B. Woods served in the United States Air Force from 1944 until 1973. He was a pilot and aircraft commander during World War II, the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War, and was instrumental in the development and use of tactical airlift refueling planes.  During the Korean Conflict he flew repeated round-trip missions to rescue nearly 3,000 children from the war zone, depositing them in a USAF in Japan. Over this lengthy military career, he was the recipient of many medals and commendations, including the Purple Heart, Decorated Legion of Merit with 3 Oak Clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with Silver Cluster and 6 Oak Clusters, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the Air Medal with 8 Oak Clusters. He was a member of the Air Force Association, Glider Pilots Association, American Society of International Law, Order of Daedalions Military Pilots and was a Master Mason.  He received his Bachelor of Science from the University of North Maryland in 1965.  After his official discharge from the Air Force he remained in an advisory role for many years, including for transportation logistics during the Persian Gulf War.  Together with his brother Darel, he was instrumental in developing an extraction and utilization method for plastics that would have been buried in landfills.  He also worked to develop a pyrolysis machine that would recycle tires and help clean the environment of many different waste streams, converting the refuse into energy.  His mission for the last 25 years was to make a constructive and lasting contribution to our planet.

Col. Woods will be remembered with love, not only for his service to his Country, but for his love of his family, children and dogs; and also, for his sense of humor and spell-binding stories.  He was a member of the Episcopal Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Plaz Marion Woods & Mamie Elizabeth Woods; son, Gary; step-sons, George and Frank Lisle and eight brothers and sisters

Surviving are his wife of 3 years, Linda M. Woods; daughter, Mary Stuedli and husband Mark ; step-son, Hampton Holley Lisle, III; three grandchildren, Esther Stuedli-Miller, Aaron Stuedli and Brett Newell-Woods; numerous great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews

The family will receive friends at 1:00 PM, Tuesday (1 hour prior to the service) on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at Wise Funeral Home Chapel.

An online guestbook is available at www.wisefuneralhome.com.