Leona Wood, former executive director of Carson Chamber, dies

Leona Wood, longtime executive director of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce and Republican Party activist, died June 30 at the age of 91.

A fourth generation member of one of the area’s pioneer families, she served as executive director of the chamber from 1971 until 1986 when she retired.

She was secretary of the Nevada Republican Party from 1965 through 1971 and a delegate to the party’s national conventions in 1968 and 1972.

Born in big Pine, Calif., she and her husband George “Shorty” Wood moved to Carson City in 1957.

She served on a long list of civic committees and organization boards including the Landmark Society, Friends of the Library, Carson Tahoe Hospital Community Advisory Committee and the Brewery Arts Center.

She was appointed to the Private Industry Council by Gov. Robert List in 1979 and was also a member of the Sierra Club, American Veterans Auxiliary and the Laws Railroad Museum in Bishop, Calif.

She received a special award for Outstanding Community Service from the chamber in 1976 and the Service To Mankind award in 1979.

She is survived by her son Jim and his wife Cathy along with numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great, great-grandchildren.