Douglas Chester Wood

February 17, 1947 - January 16, 2020

Douglas Chester Wood, 72, died Thursday January 16, 2020 following a tragic accident. He leaves his wife Linda Church, daughter Mechelle Ward, son Douglas Wood Jr, a brother Danny Wood, 3 grandchildren, Jacob Ward, Kirsten Ward and McKayla Campos and 1 great grandson, Nolan Ward, as well as many close friends. He was born in Glendale, West Virginia, the son of Eugene and Dorothy Wood, raised in Phoenix, Arizona and then was a long-time resident of Prescott. Following high school he enlisted in the Army at age 17 and served in both South Korea and Viet Nam. He then served as a police officer in Phoenix for 21 years, during which time he took great pride in being a firearms instructor and helicopter pilot. After retiring from the police department, he served as Associate Dean for Yavapai College in Prescott Valley, where he started a regional training program for fire safety. He served in the International Fire Services Accreditation Congress from 1994 until the time of his death. Following his retirement from Yavapai College, he became a consultant for Arab Fire Safety and Security Academy, traveling often to Saudi Arabia in his consulting role. Doug loved fishing, hunting, riding his motorcycle, traveling, and having adventures with his family and numerous friends. He had a passion for animals, especially dogs. He was a member of many organizations, including the Fraternal Order of Police and currently the Yavapai County Mounted Sheriff's Posse. A memorial service will be held at 11:00am on January 31 at American Lutheran Church in Prescott. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Yavapai County Mounted Sheriff's Posse Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 95, Prescott, AZ 86302, or the Fraternal Order of Police, Phoenix Lodge 2, 3520 No. 7th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85014