A young man whose infectious energy touched the lives of many was celebrated by more than 600 friends and family on Friday.
Jonathon David Wood was described as an incredible person who easily inspired others with his dedication to sports and his passion for life.
The 33-year-old’s life was cut short in the early hours of Nov. 4 when an alleged drunk driver rear-ended an Alberta Gold taxi at a south east Red Deer intersection. Wood was on his way home after having a few drinks following a squash tournament. Wood was the sole passenger in the taxi.
Friends and family shared stories, tears, laughter and memories while celebrating Wood’s life at the Sheraton Hotel Red Deer.
Orange buttons with the words, “Keep your head up. Keep Your Heart Strong,” from a Ben Howard song were pinned on jackets and shirts.
Those inspirational words were the ones Wood lived by.
His mother Lori Church said her son arrived three weeks early when he was born because he had a lot to accomplish. Church said Wood had high standards for himself in every aspect of his life. She talked about his ability to provide comic relief; how much his family and friends meant to him and his ability to reach out to anyone.
“Jon touched the lives of more people in more places that we have yet to comprehend,” said Church. “Even now he overwhelms us with his generosity and his ability to bring people together of a large and diverse group of people.”
Church said while his death raises questions for which there are no real answers, his life demands pause for thought.
Born and raised in Lacombe with his siblings and his single mother, Wood played just about every sport and excelled at them all. In recent years, he took up squash and was quickly making a name for himself on the squash circuit.
Wood worked with his uncle Travis Gangl who was a mentor and father figure at Liquid Capital Alberta Corp., a finance company in Red Deer.
Gangl said his nephew was an overachiever and if something became his passion he excelled beyond imaginable heights. Gangl introduced Wood to squash and remembered the text messages Wood would send after every match. He talked about Wood’s willingness to help at the family farm but he lacked basic mechanical interest. He also shared stories from the office and Wood tended to be late for everything.
One long-time friend said Wood inspired her to step out of her comfort zone to go for her goals. His long-time hockey coach in Lacombe Minor Hockey Association talked about how Wood, a goaltender, played his heart out in every game.
Close friend Jeff Borle said Wood was a brother to him. Borle said Wood was the first person you would go to when you had something incredible to share. He was also the go to person when you had a problem.
“His dreams were bigger than anyone could imagine,” said Borle. “Nothing was out of reach or unattainable. He taught me never to settle or to pursue anything if it means anything to you. He was the most gracious, generous and honest person I knew.”
Tyler James Wilson, 18, of Brooks has been charged with impaired driving causing death and dangerous driving causing death. Wilson appears in Red Deer provincial court for a bail hearing on Nov. 13.
crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com