Ellen Sturkie Wood

Ellen Sturkie Wood, age 82, formerly of Asheboro, died peacefully Thursday, January 16, 2020, at UNC Rex Rehabilitation & Nursing Care in Apex. A celebration of life service will be held on Monday, January 20, 2020, at 2:00 at Pugh Funeral Home Chapel, 437 Sunset Avenue, Asheboro, with Rev. Scott Wilkinson officiating. Preceding the service, the family will receive friends from 12:30-1:45 at Pugh Funeral Home. Mrs. Wood was born in Newberry, South Carolina, to Everette Ray Sturkie and Ada Wingard Sturkie, and spent most of her early life in Rockingham, North Carolina. She was a graduate of East Carolina College (now East Carolina University) where she was a majorette. She was a retired teacher, who taught at Balfour Elementary in Asheboro for most of her career, and was a member of First Baptist Church. Ellen’s greatest joys were spending time with her family, reading, and playing the piano. She was also an avid Carolina basketball fan. Ellen was preceded in death by her husband, Albert Franklin Wood. She is survived by her daughters: Laura Byers and her husband Mike of Maggie Valley, NC, and Elizabeth Price and her husband Bobby of Cary, NC; grandchildren, Tate Byers and wife Alison of Durham, NC, Lindsay Byers of Chapel Hill, NC, Morgan Price of Greensboro, NC, and Meredith Price of Cary, NC; sister, Helen Grose of Clayton, NC; nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and nursing assistants at UNC Rex Rehabilitation for their loving care. We also appreciate the guidance and care given by those of TransitionsLifeCare. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to TransitionsLifeCare Philanthropy Dept., 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607, or tansitionslifecare.org/donate