Kingsport, TN-William Patton Wood, III, 94, passed away on Monday, June 1, 2026, at his home.
He was the son of the late Dr. William Patton Wood, Jr. and Eleanor Nydene Miller Wood of Tampa, FL and grandson of Dr. William Patton Wood, Sr. and Sarah Magnolia Gentry Wood of Knoxville, TN.
He was born in Tampa, FL and attended Admiral Farragut Naval Academy in St. Petersburg, FL. Bill received his honorable discharge from the U. S. Navy Hospital Corps, with eight years of service. Following the military, he went to UT-Knoxville where he began studying Pre-Med and then to Florida Southern College. There he met his future wife, Patricia Anne Qualls, who was also taking Pre-Med. They were married and both graduated together, majoring in Chemistry and Biology.
The family then moved to Gainesville, FL where he began studying Chemical Engineering. He then was invited to join U. S. Steel Corp. and the family moved to the Pittsburgh, PA area. Successful in his field, Bill was promoted and moved into the general offices of U. S. Steel working with compliance with specs and quality control at the companies mills. He was a member of the local Chemistry Society in Pittsburgh and was elected as a member of the Society of Plastic Engineers.
A position opened up in the Tampa area where he worked at a Steel Service Center, serving all of the southern part of Florida, dealing with imported steel products.
Bill spent his early life enjoying fishing in Tampa Bay for tarpon, snook, redfish, and trout. Also, he loved to go on fishing trips along the Florida East Coast down to Everglade City, and along the Shark and Turner rivers and Whitewater Bay to Flamingo.
His hobbies included genealogy, tennis and golf. He had a real enthusiasm for life, his family, friends and his dogs.
After retiring the family moved to their “Summer Home” in the mountains of S.W.V.A., in Big Stone Gap, VA. After Bill’s wife passed, he moved to Kingsport, TN where he and his daughter located an old farmhouse that they could remodel. The place he would remain until his passing.
His main hobby was genealogy and helping people locate their lost family members. He was a member of the Union County (TN) Historical Society, the Tennessee Historical Society, National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Sons of the WAR of 1812, and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.
Bill was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Qualls Wood; his son, William Patton Wood, IV; his parents; and his brother, Warner Wood.
Surviving are his son, Robert Stewart Wood of Temple Terrace, FL; daughter, Sharon Wood Sturgill (Calvin) of Kingsport, TN; grandchildren, Tyler Jon Wood and Devon Taylor Wood, both of Raleigh, NC, Micah Alton Wood of Big Stone Gap, VA and Kaitlynn Dian Price of Jacksonville, FL; great grandchildren, Cameron Douglas Price and Mason Asher Reece, both of Jacksonville, FL and Colby Micah Wood of Tampa, FL; daughter-in-law, Carol B. Wood, Raleigh, NC; and a special son-in-law, Calvin Sturgill and his parents, Donnie and Sue Sturgill.
The family will receive friends 6:00pm – 7:00pm on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Gilliam Funeral Home, 618 Wood Avenue, W., Big Stone Gap, VA. A Celebration of Life service will follow at 7:00pm with Chaplain Steven Spell officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Cure Alzheimers, 34 Washington St., Suite 230, Wellesley Hills, MA 32481 or www.curealz.org.
Gilliam Funeral Home and Crematory is honored to serve the Wood family.
To view the obituary online or offer condolences, visit www.gilliamfuneralhome.com or the funeral home Facebook page.