DeEtta Wood

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20 DeEtta Jones Wood, age 42, of Willow Spring, North Carolina was nothing if not the consummate hearer of knocks and opener of doors. To know DeEtta was to be welcomed, cooked for, listened to, and loved. She fought cancer as she lived the rest of her life ~ surrounded by her family and many friends, endowed with quiet grace and an inner light, and full of gratitude for the graciousness of God. DeEtta passed away on Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at Rex Hospital in Raleigh.  Funeral services will be conducted on Friday, April 10, 2015, at 11:00AM at Providence Presbyterian Church, 14664 NC Hwy 210, Angier, NC.  Revs. Clyde Wiley and Jim Davis will officiate.  Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The McGee’s Crossroads community will remember DeEtta’s sweet alto voice in the Providence Presbyterian Church choir, her skill as an accomplished pianist at church and in the community, her vast cooking repertoire, her prolific correspondence in the form of her signature cards that ranged from hilarious to humbling and always came at just the right time, her service in her children’s schools and at Providence Presbyterian Church where she served ten years as church secretary, and many other capacities.  In November of 2013, she received an Honorary Life Membership by the Presbyterian Women. DeEtta took the faith, hospitality, and friendship that she learned from her years living in the McGee’s Crossroads area of Johnston County with her as she traveled extensively with her husband Jeff, their three children, and a bevy of devoted friends. One of DeEtta’s special attributes was the ability to soak up life fully, finding the joy in new people, new places, and new experiences while remaining grounded in the faith, family, and values that were her core. DeEtta excelled in each phase of her life, from her career as a client service representative at Cigna Healthcare (formerly HealthSource) and her work in the Wood family farm businesses, to her true calling as a wife to Jeff and a mother to Justin, Mary Elaine and Ava. DeEtta left her mark as an uncommonly bright, dedicated, and gracious woman.  Through her and her family's passion as purebred Angus cattle producers and enthusiasts, she was a past president of the NC Angus Auxiliary and a former advisor of the NC Junior Angus Association. DeEtta was born on September 13, 1972 in Raleigh to Forrest Craig and Gayle Wilkins Jones of Benson.  In addition to her parents, survivors include husband of 17 years, Jeffrey David Wood; son, Justin David; daughters, Mary Elaine and Ava Elizabeth; brother, Forrest Spencer Jones and wife, Heather, of Garner; parents-in-law, Russell & Elaine Wood of Willow Spring; nieces and nephews;  a large extended family and many dear friends.  She was preceded in death by grandparents, Spencer  Robert and Norma Byrd Wilkins, Marie Moss Jones and Archie Mac Jones. If you wish to honor DeEtta, welcome a stranger, remember a friend with a kind word, cook, read, travel, sing, play, and love others’ children as you love your own. The family will welcome friends at Providence Presbyterian Church located at 14664 NC 210, Angier on Thursday, April 9, 2015, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.