Michael Westin Wood

Michael Wood, 78, of Cary, North Carolina, passed away on Thursday, October 3, 2024 in his daughter's home in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina surrounded by family. 

Born on September 7, 1946 in Rome, Georgia he was a son of the late Martha Louise Rooks Wood and Wallace Eugene Wood. 

Mike was an entrepreneur, a professional musician, an avid golfer and an accomplished billiards player. He was a patriot and he loved his country. He had a tremendous amount of respect for veterans which led him to get involved with the VFW in Cary, North Carolina, where he served as Treasurer on the Men's Auxiliary Board. Although Mike did not serve in the military, his father was in the United States Navy. 

Mike owned a successful surveying business that catered to several builders for almost thirty years. His clients were loyal to him because of his stellar reputation for being honest, trustworthy, and reliable. His clients knew they could count on him to "get the job done right."

Mike was known by his peers as a creative, talented musician who played the saxophone, flute, and clarinet. A long-time bandmate said, "Mike was as talented a woodwind player as I've ever known, and he would have made a great studio musician."

Mike's musical talent led him to earn first chair clarinet for Enloe High School in Raleigh, North Carolina. He also played first chair clarinet at Campbell University, a private Christian university in Buies Creek, North Carolina. 

Mike was a vital part of several popular regional bands spanning 1966 through 2013. Some of these bands include Gene Barbour & the Cavaliers, Soul Rush '69, the Men of Distinction, and Harry's Band. In each band, he was an indispensable member, according to his bandmates. During those years, Mike and his fellow band members often opened for or shared the concert stage with some of the best-known musical acts of that era. 

In 1998, The Carolina Beach Music Academy Hall of Fame inducted The Original Men of Distinction into the Hall of Fame and also awarded them the Carolina Beach Music Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mike never met a stranger; his warm welcoming spirit made everyone feel like a friend. His genuine kindness touched the lives of all who knew him, including a stray cat that "adopted" him on one of his job sites. He named that cat Finley, and although Mike was never considered a cat person, Finley lived with him for almost twenty years. 

Mike was a proud father to his daughter, Tara, and a beloved grandfather to his granddaughter, Rayna.

He leaves behind his daughter, Tara Wood (Charlie Plummer), his granddaughter, Rayna Plummer, and his sister, Phyllis Mann (Ben Mann) and his brother, Wallace "Wally" Wood Jr.

The family would like to thank the compassionate caregivers Paul Dennis, Alberta Dennis and Chicarra Jones for helping to take care of Mike, and they appreciate the support they received from Agape Hospice. 

The Memorial Service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday October 10 at St. Andrews Church, 440 Whilden St., Mt. Pleasant, SC. A reception will follow at the St. Andrew's parish hall. A Celebration of Life will also be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday October 27 at the VFW, 522 Reedy Creek Rd. in Cary, NC. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The V Foundation for Cancer Research (Jim Valvano), www.v.org, 14600 Weston Parkway, Cary, NC 27513 or Tunnel To Towers at tunnel2towers.org, Foundation, 2361 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10306.

Expressions of sympathy may be viewed or submitted online at mcalister-smith.com. 

Memorial arrangements have been entrusted to McAlister-Smith Funeral & Cremation - Mount Pleasant, 1520 Rifle Range Road, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina 29464 (843) 884-3833