Larry (Woody) Allen Wilson

Larry (Woody) Allen Wilson, 72, of Greentop, MO, passed away at his home near Greentop, Mo on September 15-2018, after an 18 month battle with cancer. His Celebration of Life, will be held October 20th, at 11:30am followed by a luncheon at the First United Methodist Church in Kirksville, Mo. He was born March 14-1946, in Washington, Iowa to James and Maurine (Hamilton) Wilson. He was preceded in death by his parents and 3 brothers, Wayne, Wendell, and Ivan. He graduated from high school in 1964 in Olds, Iowa. He spent a year in college in Burlington, Iowa, before going off to serve his country in the Navy for three years. Woody continued his education at Kirkwood Community College, where he met his wife Peggy, before going on to Northeast Missouri State University where he received his Bachelors degree in Psychology, and his Masters in Special Education. He started his career as a Special Education Teacher in Unionville, Missouri, and from there furthered his education to become a Superintendent of Schools. Along the way he worked at the Developmental Center in Kirksville, served as Director of Education in the Kirksville schools, then served in education in North Carolina for 12 years before moving to Alaska. In 1993 Woody and Peggy moved to Alaska where he served many years as Superintendent of Schools, after 6 months retirement in 2012, he went back to work mentoring new teachers in out of the way places in bush Alaska for 3 years, followed by another year and a half working again as a Superintendent. In 2017 he retired for a second time and moved to Greentop Missouri to be close to family and medical care while fighting cancer. He is survived by his wife, Peggy Ann (Thomsen) Wilson of 45 years, and three children, Tad Wilson (Joni) of Kinross Iowa, Gina Beckley (Terry) of Clark Missouri, and Christine Hester (David) of Phoenix Arizona, 8 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, along with brother Wayne's widow Judy Wilson.