George T. Woods, 86, of Urbana, Ill., one of the original faculty members of the University of Illinois' College of Veterinary Medicine, died Sunday (Oct. 31, 2010). He was born Aug. 21, 1924, in Tyro, Kan., as the second of Samuel and Hattie Woods' four sons. He graduated from Kansas State College in 1946 with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and later earned master's degrees from the University of California-Berkeley in public health and Purdue University in pathology and radiobiology. From the age of 7, he lived in Caney, Kan., where he graduated from high school. He attended Coffeyville (Kan.) Junior College for one year before transferring to Kansas State College in 1943. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at Fort Leavenworth that year and returned to veterinary school in the Army Specialized Training Program. From 1946 to 1948, he worked short stints for a small animal practice in North Hollywood, Calif., the Illinois Department of Agriculture in Springfield, Ill., and Northwestern University's medical school in Chicago. Dr. Woods married Helen L. Jordan on June 20, 1948, in Danville, Ill. After working in a general practice in Shelbyville, Ill., he became an extension veterinarian at the UI's new veterinary college in 1949. From 1954-56, after the Korean War, he served as a U.S. Air Force captain assigned to the 51st and 18th Tactical Hospitals, Okinawa, Japan. He returned to the UI and resumed employment there until retiring as a professor in 1986. From 1988-90, he served as administrator of the DeWitt-Piatt Bi-County Health Department, with offices in Clinton and Monticello. A book he edited, "Practices in Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine in the United States," was published by Iowa State University Press in 1986. He had many other articles published in professional journals. He was listed in Who's Who in the Midwest, Leaders in American Science, American Men of Science and Who's Who in Frontiers of Science and Technology. He belonged to the Phi Kappa Phi, Gamma Sigma Delta and Phi Zeta honor societies, and Alpha Gamma Rho social fraternity. Dr. Woods was past president of the Eastern Illinois Veterinary Medical Association and American Association of Teachers of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine. He was a 60-year member of Wesley United Methodist Church, Urbana, and past president of the Urbana Exchange Club. Besides his family, his interests included gardening, fishing, camping, and reading books about American history. He is survived by Helen L. Woods, his wife of 62 years; two sons, David J. Woods, Indianapolis, and Jeffrey G. Woods, Greenwood, Ind., and a daughter, Linda L. Pierce, Springfield, Mo. Dr. Woods had five grandchildren and one great-grandson. Also surviving are three brothers, Stanley Woods, Houston; Hugh Woods, Kansas City, Mo., and Dwight Woods, Peterborough, N.H. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Wesley United Methodist Church, Urbana. There will be a reception in the church's West Lounge after the service. Following cremation, his ashes will be interred in a private ceremony in the Columbarium of the Heritage Center at Wesley United Methodist Church. Memorial contributions may be sent to Wesley United Methodist Church, 1203 W. Green St., Urbana, Ill., 61801.