Wood was injured June 10, 1980, in the fourth explosion attributed to the Unabomber, and suffered burns and cuts over much of his body when he opened a package left in the mailbox of his Lake Forest, Illinois, home.
[2][3] Wood was born in Oakland, California, on June 7, 1920, and resided in San Mateo, California, Greenwich, Connecticut, and Lake Forest, Illinois, prior to retiring to Florida.
He was past President and Chief Operating Officer of United Airlines, where he worked for 41 years.
[citation needed] In the last years of his life he lived in Sandhill Cove in Palm City, Florida, and was a 22-year resident of Mariner Sands, Stuart, Florida.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Mary Sherwood (October 2, 1920 – September 16, 2007), with whom he had four sons.