Kelly Don Wood

KELLY DON WOOD, 58, of Ashland, KY, passed away on October 18, 2023. He was born in Huntington, WV, a son of Anna M. Wood. He was preceded in death by his brother, Cameron T. Wood, his beloved daughter Laura M. Wood, and his mother Anna M. Wood. He is survived by his wife, Daina Reger Wood; his children with his first love, Kathy Wood: Tony Wood and Amanda Carinelli (Jordan); bonus children, Desirae Johnson (Josh), and Alexander Hamlin (Noell); grandchildren, Mackenzie Wood, Emma Johnson, Anakin Wood, Ellie Johnson, and Avery Johnson; brother and sister in law: Craig Wood (Jennifer) and sister  and brother in law: Dawn Brooks (Roger) and many cousins and friends. Kelly was a proud veteran of the United States Navy.

Kelly was the light and life of the party for all those who knew him. He loved visiting his friends and family, cooking, making everyone laugh with the silliest of dad jokes, taking trips to his second home in Melbourne, Florida, especially with his wife Daina, watching Marshall University and Washington Redskins football games, and mentoring his young coworkers at Marathon Refinery in Catlettsburg, KY.

Kelly grew up in Barboursville and Huntington with his brothers and sister, all raised by his mother, Ann. The baby of the family, Kelly developed a carefree, fun-loving, and playfully mischievous approach to life – an attitude he carried with him the rest of his days, influencing his roles in every aspect of his life. From the inspiration of a caring chemistry teacher at Vinson High School, he found a passion for chemistry, which influenced his desire to join the US Navy’s nuclear research program, then becoming a lifelong chemist after graduating from Marshall University. He raised three children from his first marriage, creating an atmosphere of fun and laughter for his family as his children grew up having to listen to his Elvis impersonations and boisterous renditions of “Hail to the Redskins” on any Washington gameday. He took any opportunity to spend more time with his own children while investing in the futures of children across the local community by becoming a soccer coach. He loved his players like they were his own, and he encouraged them to work hard and believe in themselves. As his family grew, he gained the title he was most proud of: Pawpaw. With every new grandchild, his love and complete dedication to putting his family first grew stronger and stronger. He eventually reconnected with the woman who would become his love and life, Daina, and gained two more children, a fact he couldn’t have been more elated with. He and Daina spent countless hours together taking spontaneous trips, watching games together, and cooking meals for their family. Their blended family moved forward together in love and laughter, spending the last 13 years together as if they had always been meant to find each other, especially when it came to pranking one another relentlessly or having cookouts that resulted in everyone lying around the living room groaning from overindulgence in Kelly’s fantastic cooking skills.

Kelly’s family would love more than anything for everyone to remember him as the happiest, most fun-loving, and above all, caring and selfless men the world has ever been blessed with. Even in his final days, his concerns were not for himself, but in making sure every single member of his family would be taken care of so that he could rejoin his mother, brother, and daughter in everlasting peace in Heaven. To honor Kelly, we ask that you tell your loved ones how much you love them, perform a random act of kindness for a stranger, and tell the corniest dad joke you can possibly think of. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Kelly's name to the West Virginia Veterans Home in Barboursville, West Virginia.

Visitation will be held at Reger Funeral Home in Huntington, WV from 6-8 pm Wednesday, October 25th. Funeral services will be at 11 A.M. Thursday, October 26th, 2023, at Reger Funeral Chapel in Huntington. Burial will follow in Woodmere Memorial Park. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.regerfh.com.