Louise Mawyer Wood

Louise Mawyer Wood (March 31, 1926 - September 24, 2024)

Louise (“Ease,” “LouLou”) Wood, 98, passed away peacefully just before dawn on September 24, 2024, at her home Arrowhead in Wingina with her family at hand.

She was born on March 31, 1926, in Lynchburg, Virginia, and grew up in Lovingston. She attended St. Mary’s Junior College in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Richmond Professional Institute. She is predeceased by her parents, Herman Dunsmore Mawyer, Sr., and Lillie Loving Mawyer, and by a brother, Herman D. Mawyer, Jr., and a sister, Jane Loving Mawyer Orgain. She is also predeceased by her husband of 65 years, Clifford Ewell Wood.

Survivors are daughters Jane Morgan Wood Raup (Jim) of Wingina and Martha Ellen Wood Quade (Jeff) of Richmond, granddaughters Annie Raup Wilkins (Bray), Emily Raup-Chanin (Eli), and Edith Quade Davies (Eric), and great-grandchildren, Evelyn Lois Davies and Wesley James Wilkins. She is also survived by many loving cousins, nieces, nephews, and two sisters-in-law, Nancy H. Wood, and Barbara P. Wood, both of Wingina. 

Louise was an openhearted contributor to her community. She was a member of Mulberry Grove Baptist Church where she was a Sunday school teacher for many years. She also was a member of The Nelson County Historical Society, where she helped edit a publication A Walking Tour of Lovingston and write a 3rd grade curriculum about Nelson County history. She helped establish the Norwood/Wingina Community 4-H Club in the 1960s and was an accomplished knitter, knitting many children’s sweaters for the Lamb’s Wool Ministry. 

She was devoted to Cliff and her daughters and was a mother figure to many. She helped raise her granddaughters, who called her “LouLou”, staying close and involved in their lives. She loved spending time with her great-grandchildren and delighted in daily photos and videos of them too. Louise enjoyed people and the holidays that brought together all those she loved. She was an excellent cook and hostess, preparing delightful meals for those gathered in her formal dining room or on the front porch of Arrowhead. She made sure everyone was well-fed, including whomever Cliff brought home unannounced for lunch, her beloved pets, and the wild birds at her many feeders. 

Louise had a memorable sense of humor, kept family stories and traditions alive, was ready for a good time and laughter, and always welcomed visitors. She had a sharp mind and memory, which served her well in her enjoyment of reading, games, and jigsaw puzzles. She was curious about the world around her and stayed engaged with what loved ones were up to. A lover of music, she looked forward to attending the Spoleto Music Festival each spring alongside her friends and family in Charleston, South Carolina, and often had swing, classical music, and Ella Fitzgerald playing through the house. Even in her later years of life, she fostered new friendships and was recently the originator and host of a community game night. 

The family thanks Kathy Boykin and the Hospice of the Piedmont nurses for their loving care during the last months of her life.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to The Nelson County Historical Society, P.O. Box 474, Lovingston, Virginia, or Hospice of the Piedmont, 675 Peter Jefferson Pkwy STE 300, Charlottesville, VA 22911.

The family will receive guests and hold a service at the Wells-Sheffield Funeral Home Chapel in Lovingston on October 19, with visitation beginning at 2:00 pm and service at 3:00 pm. A burial will follow at Mountain View Cemetery.

Arrangements by Wells/Sheffield Funeral Chapel, Lovingston (434-263-4097).