Leonard J. Wood died peacefully at home near Pringle, SD, on February 26, 2015, at the age of 76.

Leonard was born in the Sisters Hospital, Hot Springs, SD, on October 7, 1938, the third child of Leonard E. and Anna Marie (Conlon) Wood. He was the 4th generation to grow up on his family's homestead in Pringle. He attended Pringle grade school, graduated from Custer High School in 1956, and attended South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD. After a timber accident he started mining with his father but he had always dreamed of traveling to South America to mine and seek adventure. In 1961, he started work as an oilfield engineer and took the first opportunity he could to work overseas. That first assignment was in Ireland in 1963, where he met his future wife Oonagh. His work took him to the Alaskan North Slope, Nigeria and Houston. He and Oonagh were married at St John the Baptist Catholic Church, Custer on June 18, 1966. Through his work they lived overseas for many years, starting in South America, including Columbia, Venezuela, Argentina and Peru, and then they moved to West Africa where Leonard was the Manager for Africa with Dresser Magcobar. He was transferred to London, England, but did not like big city life. He returned to Custer for several years but was not ready to settle for early retirement and went back to the oil business, which took him to Venezuela. Shortly after that he went into business for himself in Nigeria in 1981. Two years later, political instability and schooling concerns for his children led him to relocate to Houston. With his family based in Houston, he commuted to his oil field services business in North Africa for a few years and then started a business in Venezuela. He worked there until his retirement in 2004 when he moved back to Pringle year round.

Throughout his travels he had always maintained a home in Pringle and had a ranch in Argyle of which he was an excellent steward. He was a member of the SD State Forest Stewardship Committee and was proud to have been recognized as the outstanding Woodland Tree Farmer of the Year for SD in 2002.

He was elected as a Custer County Commissioner in 2007 and had been sitting as the current Chairman of the Custer County Housing Commission. He was a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Custer.
Leonard was an avid hunter, sportsman, bird watcher, poker player and devoted family man. He acted as a mentor to young fishermen and hunters. He was always ready to show them how it was done but they had better be ready to clean any fish they caught and dress any game they hunted. He had enormous respect for and knowledge of the outdoors, and was always interested in learning all manner of topics and passing on his knowledge to others. And he always appreciated a good laugh.

He touched so many lives and will be sadly missed.

He is survived by his wife, Oonagh; his children, Joe (Lupe) Wood, Katy, TX; Jennifer (Tod Wells) Wood, Washington D.C.; Jessica Wood, Denver, CO; Joilene (David) Grove, San Francisco, CA; as well as his 9 grandchildren, Evelyn Grove; Leo Wells; Anna Wells; Keeley Grove; Ashlyn Grove; Joe Wood; Christian Wood; Michael Wood; Francis Wells; three siblings, Anna Marie (Harry) Evans of Pringle; Colleen (Marty) Mahrt of Custer; Bob Wood of Paradise, CA; as well as his nieces; nephews; other relatives and many friends.

Leonard was preceded in death by his parents, Anna Marie Wood and Leonard E. Wood.

Wake services will be held 7:00 p.m., Monday, March 2, 2015, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Custer.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, March 3, 2015, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Custer with Fr. Kerry Prendiville as the Celebrant. Interment will follow at the Cold Springs Cemetery near Wind Cave National Park.

Memorials have been established in Leonard's name to benefit either Operation Black Hills Cabin or the Custer County Historical Society.