Pauline R. “Polly” Wood

An area resident since 1962, she was born March 17, 1939, in Blossburg, Pa., the daughter of the late David R. and Lillian A. White Richards.

Polly was a graduate of Covington High School, Covington, Pa., and earned her bachelor’s degree from Mansfield State University and her master’s degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia.

She was a home economics teacher for the Jamestown Public School System for over 30 years, working at Lincoln Junior High School and later at Persell Middle School. After retiring, she was employed by Sam’s Club as one of the original demo ladies.

She was an active member of the Camp St. United Methodist Church where she served on numerous committees and completed three mission trips to Honduras. While in Honduras, she taught native ladies how to bake bread and sew so that they had an occupation to support themselves and their families. She also volunteered for the Camp St. “Snack Shack” at many events.

Polly was also very active as a 4-H leader for the Levant Live Wires 4-H Club and was a member of the board for the Cornell Cooperative Extension serving on several advisory boards. In previous years, she was a brownie and girl scout leader with her daughter’s girl scout group. She also enjoyed being a “Grandma” at the Royal Family Kids Camp.

During the past several years, she loved spending winters in Port Charlotte, Fla., with her Wednesday morning craft club and attending movies and live theater shows with her many friends. She also loved spending time with her extended family at Keuka Lake.

She will be remembered as a loving and caring mother, grandmother, sister and aunt who thrived on helping other people. She made friends very easily and when you were a friend of Polly’s you were her friend forever.

Surviving are a daughter Jessica L. (Peter) Nelson of Ashville, N.Y.; a grandson, Andrew L. Nelson of Ashville; three brothers, David (Sharon) Richards of Charlotte, N.C., Howard (Janice) Richards of Wellsboro, Pa., and Alfred “AJ” Richards of Covington, Pa.; two sisters-in-law, LoRita Hettich of Ft. Myers, Fla., and Lorraine Lewis of Brooksville, Fla.; as well as several nieces and nephews.

Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Lyle E. “Skip” Wood whom she married Aug. 5, 1962, and who died Jan. 1, 2003.

A memorial service will be held at 5 p.m., Wednesday in the Lind Funeral Home. The Rev. Mark Parsons, pastor of the Mayville United Methodist Church and Rev. Jennifer Delahoy, pastor of the Camp St. United Methodist Church will officiate.

The family will receive friends from 2-5 p.m., Wednesday prior to the service.

Memorials may be made to the Falconer Public Library, 101 W. Main St., Falconer, NY 14733 or to Chautauqua Hospice and Palliative Care, 20 W. Main St., Lakewood, NY 14750.

You may leave a condolence to Polly’s family at www.lindfuneralhome.com.