William Joseph Wood Jr.

William Joseph Wood Jr. (1950 – 2025)

"God - Country - Family."

William Joseph Wood Jr., known affectionately as "Billy" or "Uncle Bill," lived by these words, though his family was easily the largest of the three. Born in 1950, he was the oldest child and the only boy, with four little sisters he adored, bragged about, and frequently spoiled.

Billy was well known for his generosity and his deep love for animals. As a boy, his companions were horses and a rescued magpie named Caesar. His first horse was a Shetland pony named Tag-A-Long, his best buddy until years later when he acquired Ruby—an oddly stoic Blue Heeler given to him by his cousin. Ruby stood staunchly by his side through his years as a long-haul trucker and hotshot driver for Richardson Trucking.

He was a fair horseman until his time at community college in Sheridan, WY, and his subsequent enlistment in the Navy took precedence. His baby sister, Kathie, recalls the family shipping him off to basic training from Sheridan around 1968. He returned to their new home in Casper, WY, bringing with him the April blizzard of ’72. After surprising the family with a new horse tattoo, he fell asleep, only to wake up with a rather well-drawn cow on the opposite arm—courtesy of his father, Bill J. Wood Sr.

Billy possessed an incredible, sardonic wit. He was the President of his debate team at Sheridan High School, and if you sat with him for more than five minutes, you would get a sense of this. He adored argument and discussion, seeming able to talk to anyone, at any time, for any length of time, with very little effort. He was a ridiculously good cribbage player and a notoriously poor poker player; his poker face was wholly ineffective, unable to camouflage a smile or a scowl.

He loved Willie Nelson, The Highwaymen, and Bob Marley. He enjoyed the vibrancy of young people—especially the ones he enthusiastically welcomed into his apartment at all hours. Billy always seemed to be awake, sitting with a lukewarm cup of coffee on his cable spool table, surrounded by inexplicably flourishing plants crowded into every available space.

His apartment, fittingly located across from Veteran's Park, was inhabited by local musicians and their friends. Dubbed "The Hippy Hilton," it was a favorite gathering place for the soul-searching youth of the early 90s. Even his oldest sister, Pam (known as Kai or Stretch), lived there for a time. It was the place to be whenever a new album by Frank Zappa, Prince, Sting, or anyone of note was released. Nights when Star Trek: The Next Generation was airing saw a particularly packed house.

To his nephew Jaeson, Uncle Bill was an actual Outlaw who personally knew Smokey, The Bandit, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson. It was always a magical moment to spot his lifted brown and gold Ford F150, one of his Harleys, or—even better—his Peterbilt 359 parked right in front of Gramma's house like so much Honda Civic. Later, it became a red Richardson Hotshot flatbed with Ruby riding shotgun.

Billy was preceded in death by his parents, William J. Wood Sr. and Bonnie K. Wood, and his sister, Cindy (Wood) Kastner.

He is survived by his sisters, Pamela K. Novotny, Penny Holthouse, and Kathie Broman, as well as many loving nieces, nephews, and friends.

A note from his nephew ("Little Brother"):

I could go on, but for now, I am sitting here at 3:00 AM with my Uncle Bill, The Outlaw. Just like I have done many, many times.

Only this time, he’s stepping up into that Peterbilt. Green thermos in hand, full of fresh hot coffee ("The best coffee in town," he would say) made by his mother. Ruby is sitting shotgun, and Willie is on the dash playing tunes. He is hitting the road to his Father’s House, where his earthly parents and his second youngest sister Cindy will soon hear that rig pull up. Hear the rig door shut, the jingle of a dog's collar, and their beloved only son stamping off his boots and the cold as he reaches for the door to come home.

Keep the shiny side up and the greasy side down. 3's and 8's, good buddy.

~ Your little brother, Jaeson

Military honors will be held on Friday, January 23rd 2026 at 2:00 PM at Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery.

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