Gayle "Liz" Wood

Gayle Elizabeth “Liz” Wood, 58 of Rushville, passed away at 4:39 p.m. on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 in the home she and her husband built together and raised their family. 

Born on October 17, 1965, In Jacksonville, Illinois, Liz was the beloved third daughter of Harold Reginald and Doris Elizabeth “Liz” (Boes) Lashmet. She lived in Winchester for the first five years of her life before moving to Beardstown due to her father’s job at CIPS. 

Liz was a 1983 graduate of Beardstown High School where she was a pom pom girl and attended Gem City Business College in Quincy. She was a Purchasing Secretary at Roberts Foods in Springfield for over 6 years before returning to Beardstown in 1996 to begin working as a dental assistant with Dr. Matt Vandermolen’s practice in Rushville. 

Brent and Liz met on a blind date at Tyson’s Drive-In in Beardstown, a place where she worked in high school. They were married on Saturday, October 24, 1998 at the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Rushville. After they were married, Liz worked at DOT Foods in Mt. Sterling as an Inside Sales Associate. After the birth of Blake, she became a stay at home mom and also became an integral part of the success of Wood Funeral Home in Rushville. Her desire to help others without regard for herself was displayed there. Moving chairs, arranging flowers, styling hair and making sure that the phones were answered were just a few of the roles she assumed and she was very proud to be the hearse driver. She and her husband would later purchase the Hunter Funeral Homes in Mendon and Golden in August of 2005. 

Liz began a career with Culbertson Memorial Hospital in Rushville, first as the Activity Director at Culbertson Gardens Independent Living Facility and later worked as a Patient Access Clerk at the Rushville Clinic. After the onset of Covid and her active cancer diagnosis, she worked behind the scenes in the Therapy and Medical Records Departments. She and Brent sold the funeral homes in January of 2022 and due to the effects of cancer, she resigned from the hospital in February of 2023. 

After visiting with friends, they bought their first vacation home in Osage Beach, Missouri where they enjoyed short trips with the boys and riding the golf cart around. They later purchased a lakeside condo and boat. Liz loved the Lake of the Ozarks and enjoyed sharing their condo with friends and for shopping trips with her girlfriends. In 2023, she and Brent purchased a home at Maple Leaf Golf Country Club Community in Port Charlotte, Florida. She absolutely loved spending the winter there and all of the friends that she met. She participated and enjoyed many activities and was hoping to spend one more season in her “Paradise.”

Liz attended St. Alexius Catholic Church in Beardstown as a child and the First Christian Church (Disciple of Christ) in Rushville after their marriage. She was an avid reader and her smile would light up the room. 

Her family was her life and she was devoted to them. She was the biggest supporter for her sons’ sporting events and activities. She and her mother shared a passion for food and watching cooking shows. She loved Rick Springfield and saw him in concert nine times. Liz loved music and dancing. 

Surviving are her husband, Brent, two sons, Blake Edward Wood of Rushville and Grant Reginald Wood of Blandinsville, her mother Doris “Liz” Lashmet of Springfield, three sisters, Suzanne Montazer, Dianne Kelley and Kara Lashmet, two nieces, one nephew, a great niece and several extended family members and a great number of friends who loved and cared for her. She was preceded in death by her father. 

Services celebrating her life will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at the Triplett and Wood Funeral Home in Rushville  with Pastor Bill Rucker officiating. She will be placed in the Rushville City Cemetery following the services. Visitation will be from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Monday, September 23rd at the Triplett and Wood Funeral Home. 

 Memorial contributions are suggested to the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Rushville, McDonough District Hospice or the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Liz did not instill in her three men an appreciation of silk arrangements, potted plants, trees, benches, stepping stones, chimes, cherubs and other mementoes but they would more than welcome cut floral arrangements. You are invited to share your memories of Liz, leave condolences and view her memorial video at www.triplettwood.com.