Bethyl Davis Wood

Bethyl Davis Wood, 95, of Greenville, SC died Saturday, April 15, 2023.

Daughter of the late Alice Ardena Erickson and Howard Andrew Wellington Davis, she was born in East Providence, Rhode Island in 1927.

She was predeceased by her husband Burrell L. Wood Jr. of nearly 45 years; her beloved siblings Beryl Davis Cobb, Rexford Davis, Chester Davis, and Berkley Davis; niece Doris Cobb Smith; nephews George Allen Cobb and Bruce Davis; and her step-daughter Julie Wood Harbin. She was especially proud of each brother’s military service.

She is survived by her daughter, Pamela Wood Browne; nieces Barbara Cobb Briggs, Lyn Davis Dlugosz (Ed), Sandra Davis, and Joanne Davis Forgacs; nephews Donald Cobb, Sr. (Eleanor), Miles Davis (Karen), Carl Davis (Lynn) and Paul Davis (Catherine); step-children Vicki Wood DePalma (Rory) and Jerry Wood; and many family members who knew her as Bethyl or Auntie Bette. Maintaining family ties with family was extremely important to her and she was known for sending cards and letters.

Bethyl didn’t have the opportunity to attend college, however, she had a life-long devotion to self-education and wide-ranging career experiences. Her sheltered early life included graduating from theological seminary as a deaconess. After finding her footing in the wider world, she soon excelled as the secretary to the Vice President for International Relations and Research and Development at Metals & Controls. Deciding to make her way on to new adventures she took a State Department exam that led to serving as the secretary to the American Ambassador in The Hague, Netherlands. Then she had herself transferred to El Salvador where she met her future husband. His work for the Atomic Energy Commission (now U.S. Dept of Energy) took them on more travels including Ankara, Turkey where she gave birth to their daughter. Returning to living in the U.S., Bethyl embraced motherhood with the same attention to detail and excellence that she did in every aspect of her life - including serving for years as CampFire group leader in Bethesda, MD.

Later she returned to using her impeccable administration skills working for nonprofit organizations like the Literacy Council and the drug rehabilitation program Second Genesis. During retirement in South Carolina, she sought out volunteer work and fellow bird watchers. She founded the Laurens County Birders group and taught English as a second language. After living for many vibrant years in her own apartment, she lived with her daughter and devoted cat Blackie until the end of her life.

Her wishes were to have donations in lieu of flowers to the Greenville Humane Society or your choice of animal welfare group and for her ashes to be buried in a family plot in East Providence, Rhode Island. Services will be held both in Rhode Island and Greenville, SC. Dates are yet to be determined.