Martha (Marty) D'Arcy Nolan Wood

Martha (Marty) D’Arcy Nolan Wood, 88, of Knoxville, Tennessee, passed peacefully in the early hours of August 12, 2025. Marty was born June 9, 1937, in San Diego, California, and was raised in Cincinnati and Logan, Ohio. She attended Ohio University, where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi and graduated cum laude. She continued her education with a prestigious academic scholarship at Tulane University in New Orleans, earning an M.A. in psychiatric social work. While in New Orleans, Marty met George (Woody) Harden Wood, III, on a blind date and, in 1963, they married in the St. Louis Cathedral. By 1965, the couple moved to Knoxville and eventually welcomed two daughters: Kathleen and Laura. During their fifty years in Knoxville, Marty extended her professional focus on child and family well-being through volunteer activities, including serving on the boards of Child and Family Services and The United Way. She held numerous offices, including president, of the PTA, PTSO, and Bearden High Band Boosters, and was recognized by the Knox County School Board for the number of volunteer hours served. Among her favorite volunteer activities was her time as a docent at the Knoxville Museum of Art, where she helped shepherd thousands of school children through an exploration of art and ideas. Marty was a firm believer in the beneficial power of education both for the individual and for the common good. Together, Marty and Woody provided tuition for over a dozen students through a scholarship at the University of Tennessee. The long Catholic tradition of social justice was central to Marty’s life. She was a feminist and a liberal, proudly so. She was a voracious reader and lifelong learner with a creative spirit—Marty enjoyed crafting, sewing, quilting, cooking, art, and her many years singing in the choir at Sacred Heart Cathedral. She and her husband loved boating and taught legions of kids how to waterski on Watts Bar and Fort Loudon lakes. When it came to games, few could best Marty at Gin Rummy. Her sharp sense of humor was legendary; her prescient understanding of people and situations often came with a healthy dose of spot-on counseling. Marty was not a social butterfly but relished deep friendships, especially the Monday Group. Marty is survived by her devoted husband of 62 years, Woody; their two daughters, Kathleen (Ross) Peters and Laura (Don) Schofield; and four grandchildren: Donald Schofield, Anna Kate (Tommaso Mason) Schofield, Bob Schofield, and Eleanor Peters. Her love and laughter reverberate through these generations. Marty’s favorite Bible verse was Psalm 118:2, “This is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad!” Join us in celebrating her life by doing just that. Family and friends will gather at 1:45 p.m. on Friday, August 15, at The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus for a funeral mass followed by a procession to Highland Memorial Cemetery for interment. In leu of flowers, please consider donating to or volunteering with Sacred Ground Hospice House, Shalom Hospice of Greater Knoxville, or The United Way. Online condolences may be expressed at www.rosefuneraltn.com

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Martha (Marty) D'Arcy Nolan Wood

June 9, 1937 - August 12, 2025