Zina E. Wood

Zina Elaine Wood, 66, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Services will be Monday, May 15, 2023 at 11 am at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Rosewood Chapel with her cousin, Reverend Raye Nell Dyer, Vanderbilt LifeFlight Chaplin, Nashville, TN, officiating.

Zina was born October 13, 1956 in Big Spring, Texas, to Billy Jack and Bobbie Ruth Beach Johnston. She was a member of the International Order of Rainbows and attained the highest ranks of Worthy Advisor, and Grand Officer. Zina graduated from Big Spring High School January, 1974.

Zina made an important choice to accept a date with Carl David Wood in 1974. She knew early on that he was her knight in shining armor. They married July 25, 1975, in Big Spring and spent 10 years getting to know each other, traveling the country in an RV and competing to take the best scenic photographs. Then came children, Casie Elaine on November 29, 1984, and Brent David on March 27, 1987. Everything seemed perfect until later that year when Casie was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. Zina and David fought for their family to live life to the fullest. The kids and friends all wanted to hang out at the house with the Coca-Cola machines and cool basement.

Professionally Zina was born to be a manager. Right out of high school, she was hired by Vera Robertson as assistant manager of Big Spring Keaton Kolor. Thus began a lifelong fascination with photography and a career path that combined her managerial expertise with her love of photography and people. When Vera retired, she became manager, and her small store often outsold the company’s sister stores in Abilene and San Angelo. She convinced them to open a photo studio in her branch. Zina and high school acquaintance Carla Harrold, a local photo business “competitor” in 1988 connected as friends through separate hardships in their personal lives and in 1989, they joined forces and formed Photo Magic Studio, which later became GreenHouse Photography. Zina had a natural ability to “read” people and focus on them, listening to each word. She made employees and customers feel comfortable and special. In 2013, Zina’s health forced her to work limited hours and they closed the studio location, working from home until it closed permanently in 2017. During those years, Carla and several employees became family, including Cathy Hogg, Geri York, Catherine “Junior” Wendland Brown and Kristi North Wright.

Although few marriages survive a child with a terminal illness, Zina and David’s grew stronger, even when they lost Casie at age 23, and then Brent, at age 24. In the midst of their loss, Amanda Charlton, former employee and fiancé of their son Brent, became a permanent fixture and daughter to them. Her children, Kamryn and Kynleigh and stepdaughter Kyleigh Heckler restored life to ZZ’s broken heart. Zina’s auto-immune illness robbed her of her health, but she continued to think of others, always focusing the conversation on those who came to see her. It might exhaust her, but visitors rarely realized how sick she was, because she kept up her energy and always turned the conversation away from herself. She wanted people to know that she was ready to meet her Lord and to be with her beautiful children and Grandmother Lockie. She loved David with all her heart and appreciated how faithful he was to care for her, though it wasn’t the way they planned to spend their retirement, “Other than David, the most joyous people in my life were women – my aunts, my cousins, my friends, my girls, and most of all, my Mother. Holding her hand gave me peace.”

Besides her children, Zina was preceded in death by her father and grandparents including Lockie Beach Schooling. She is survived by husband David; mother Bobbie Easterling; brother Sammy Ben Johnston; “almost sister” Carla Harrold, bonus daughter Amanda Charlton; “grands” Kyleigh, Kamryn and Kynleigh Heckler; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

The family suggests donations to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home and Crematory. Online condolences can be made at www.npwelch.com

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