James Neal Wood

James Neal Wood of Conway, aged 75, passed peacefully from this life into the glory of heaven
on January 14, 2020 after many years of overcoming numerous medical challenges. Neal was
born in Conway AR on June 7, 1944 to the late Jim Wood and Joy Irby Wood. He grew up all
over the United States and spent several years on an Indian Reservation in Poplar Montana,
where he graduated from High School. Neal served in Vietnam as a member of the Army
Psychological Warfare Unit, then returned to Conway and graduated from SCA (now UCA) with
a Bachelor's degree in Special Education. Neal was a man of many talents and abilities; he was
a Pee Wee Football coach, a girls softball coach, a great softball pitcher in his day, member and
President of Conway Community Arts Association and actor in numerous CCAA productions as
well as a few television ads, a prolific writer and member of the Conway Writers Group, and an
avid golfer who was proud to have made a hole-in-one in 2015. He was a KCON radio disc
jockey, co-owner of Lawrence Landing Boat Dock, a substitute Conway high school teacher,
worked for the CCEPP program at UCA, and was a U.S. Postal Service rural route mail carrier
where every Christmas Eve he dressed as Santa with bells on his jeep and passed out candy
canes to all the children on his route along with their packages. He also served as Program
Coordinator for Hazard Mitigation at the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management.
Neal was a jack-of-all-trades with a one of a kind personality, quick, razor sharp wit and almost
photographic memory, an incredible storehouse of trivia knowledge, and particularly
unparalleled at music trivia, and lifelong aviation enthusiast and expert in aviation history who
loved to fly, earned his pilot’s license in record time, and could tell a plane by the sound of its
engine. He served as music director for a time at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church and was a
member and President of First Baptist Church Life Group 10. Neal is survived by Deby Riggs
Wood, his wife of 43 years, and three children; daughters Krissie Talley of Nashville AR and
Kerry Wood James of Maumelle AR, and son TJ Wood of Conway AR, 8 beloved grandchildren,
sons-in-law Eley Talley and Nathan James, sister and brother-in-law Carole and Ward Hilemon
of Chuckey TN, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Steve and Janinne Riggs of Little Rock AR,
brother-in-law Johnny Hudspeth of Cabot AR, numerous cousins, nieces and nephews, and
many, many friends. He was loved by all and though his passing leaves quite a void in this
world, we were blessed beyond measure to have known him. Neal was so very proud of his
children and grandchildren, and loved being with friends and family, playing games, telling tales,
making others laugh, and singing songs. There will be a time of visitation on Friday from 6-8 pm
at Griffin Leggett Funeral Home in Conway AR, and a service to honor his life will be held on
Saturday at 2:30 pm, also at Griffin Leggett Funeral Home, with interment following at Oak
Grove Cemetery in Conway. Pallbearers will be Mike Irby, Ward Hilemon, Eley Talley, Nathan
James, Ken Baker, and Kenny Smith, and honorary pallbearers will be members of First Baptist
Church Life Group 10 and Johnny Hudspeth, along with pallbearers in absentia Steve Smith
and Les Combs. Honorariums may be made to Shriners Hospital, St Jude Hospital, or the
organization of your choice.