Catherine Renee Wood

Catherine Renee Wood, 73 died unexpectantly November 21, 2024. Her accomplishments are too numerable to mention individually, and her humble nature would dissuade the listing of every achievement. Nonetheless it demands mentioning that she contributed immensely to charitable organizations, worthy causes and the arts.

She helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for United Way in Grants Pass, established the non-profit Bright Futures Foundation, and spearheaded a Rotary project to build a free medical clinic in Bhotechaur, Nepal.

Through Catherine’s leadership and generosity, the Bright Futures Foundation provided scholarships that allowed low-income children to attend the better schools in the area around Kathmandu, Nepal. Many of the students have graduated college and are now emulating her example by serving their community.

The free clinic in Bhotechaur, provided medical care for villagers who otherwise would have had to travel for hours to reach services in Kathmandu. Her diligent and ongoing efforts improved the health care for countless people, and the workshops and seminars she arranged improved the status and treatment of the women in the village.

With her passion and support (in all forms) for the arts in general, Catherine made a profound impact on the local arts community. She served as a Britt Board member, was a champion of Britt’s Planned Giving Program, and was a generous contributor herself. She also regularly scheduled “House Concerts” in Grants Pass, sponsoring performances by dozens of emerging “Americana” musicians on tour. Among the several theaters she supported were the Oregon Shakespeare festival, Oregon Cabaret Theater, Rogue Theater company, and other venues in the valley providing arts and musical performance opportunities.

As a dedicated attendee and staunch supporter of the theater scene in Ashland, she yearly coordinated a group that chose one OSF production each season to study in depth. Catherine’s passion at OSF (and at other theaters) was to always dig deeper into the story, the characters, the historical context of the plays. The group pored over the script, saw several individual performances of the chosen play throughout its run and enjoyed discussions with directors and actors in behind the stage sessions.

Because she developed a knowledgeable background in all aspects of staging a play, Catherine also became highly respected as a production and performance reviewer by those who knew her in the theater scene. She was challenging but fair, her observations and arguments were intelligent and well thought out, and she was always open to alternative perspectives.

Catherine had a unique ability to communicate equally and effectively between and about all theater functions (the artistic, the production, and even the administration).

Perhaps most important, though, were the honesty and clarity of her views and opinions. Whether it was a discussion about a minor problem with a set piece, an actor’s performance, or the OSF operations through the difficult years, she never shied away from any conversation and always clearly provided her perspective while remaining completely open to differing points of view.

Known among friends as Miss Organization, she also arranged festive dinners, monthly movie gatherings for a group known as The Mavens, and friendly but competitive dominoes tournaments. (Playing dominoes was one of her favorite pastimes.) Her invitations to share time, meals and events with her special community of friends from around the Murphy/Grants Pass area was an indication of her desire to connect like-minded people that were all trying to make the world a little better.

In the late 1970s Ms. Wood earned a law degree and passed the California Bar exam while working as a single mother and taking night classes. She worked real estate law for a large firm in the L.A. area before moving to Grants Pass in the early nineties when she began selling real estate here. At that time, she met and married Michael Wood, her husband of 29 years who preceded her in death in 2023. She is survived by granddaughter Kaitlyn Gates, her grandson Aspen Reuter, her son Gavin Reuter, her mother Mary Dell Davis, and her beloved rescue-puppy Fang.

Catherine traveled the globe and her generosity and kindness extended far beyond the local community, touching countless lives throughout the world. Her legacy will live on through the lives she transformed. She gave more back to everything she did than she took. She will be missed by friends and loved ones everywhere who feel deeply honored to have known her.

Her sudden departure leaves a deep void in many hearts. Yet, in true Catherine style, she departed this world still stunningly beautiful, radiant and giving much of herself to her friends and community.

Catherine had an unquenchable curiosity and a laser focused desire to learn about all things, but always she sought knowledge about life itself more than anything. She was intelligent, articulate, and sincere, and her warm and welcoming demeanor and zest for living made her an ultimate host, while her generous heart, giving spirit, and loving soul were the foundation of her passion for life, the arts, and humanity.

The world is a better place for her having been in it.