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Left: Andrew
Wood with partner Rebecca Dolton.
Andrew, youngest son of John and Roslyn Wood, lost his life in tragic circumstances on 24th June 2003 after a short, acute illness. Andrew's funeral was held at Hughes Baptist Church in the ACT on 2nd July 2003. It was a service of thanksgiving attended by about 300. The sermon, tributes, and messages in song were lovely, if bittersweet, memorials of a beautiful life the Wood family was privileged to share with so many others for a little more than 29 years. |
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He was liked and respected by all who knew him and is deeply missed by his family and partner Rebecca Dolton. He and Rebecca had planned to marry. He is survived by his older brother Stephen (a helicopter pilot and former commissioned officer of the Australian Army) who lives in Townsville; and by his sister Rebecca Andric who lives in Canberra and has provided him with two beautiful, energetic nephews, Liam and Daniel. Andrew was born at Cessnock in the Hunter Valley of NSW on 22nd December 1973 after he and his mother were serenaded by the carol singers of Cessnock Baptist Church (including his dad) from the back of an old truck, the music supported by an even older organ. He entered the world a few hours later, so the singers claim that they were not unconnected with his arrival! He had a happy, stable childhood. As a member of a Christian family involved with aviation (his father was a professional pilot engaged in flying training and air safety regulation) he also got to see a bit of the country. 7 years in Cessnock, 8 months in Tamworth, 1 year in Melbourne, 7 in Canberra and another 15 in Sydney. His high school education took place at Wanniassa in the ACT and at Kirrawee in the Cronulla-Sutherland Shire of Sydney. His tertiary education included four years at Wollongong University where he part-completed a degree in mechanical engineering before deciding it was not for him. He had discovered a passion for flying. He was a natural athlete, good at all ball games, with a particular affinity for cricket and soccer. In soccer he represented the ACT schoolboys in 1986. In the workplace, Andrew spent some time in retailing before moving to aviation-based employment while he continued to study and train for his commercial pilot licence. Just prior to his illness he left his well-paid job as a flight dispatch supervisor with Qantaslink to seek work in Kunnunurra WA as a pilot. By then he was a fully fledged commercial pilot with a command instrument rating qualified to pilot multi-engined aeroplanes. As a 20 year old Andrew had made a profession of Christian faith at his family's dinner table after a Bible reading and prayer (a family custom). But like some, he didn't seem to go on with it until recently, in his crisis, he renewed his Christian vows. This has given encouragement to his family, who have a confident hope that they will meet him again in happier circumstances. While their grief has been great, his parents claim to have experienced in a deeper way the love of Jesus through faith which has been tested. At the funeral his sister, Rebecca Andric, brought a moving tribute which she concluded by reading from an entry made in Andrew's diary shortly before his death. This is some of what he said:
A few weeks before his death Andrew became seriously ill with depression, and his family are committed to raising awareness about the need for research into mental health in the hope that others might be saved and helped. Consequently, following an initiative by Andrew's uncle, Philip, the family has been instrumental in setting up the Andrew A. Wood Scholarship Fund for research into mental health. His parents would like to conclude by thanking those who have supported them. They wish to say that the prayers, love and support they have received from so many following the loss of Andrew has been overwhelming and has made their burden lighter. John & Roslyn Wood
Click here to download a form for donations in memory of Andrew Wood.
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