Obituary of Therese L. Wood

Therese L. Wood of Candor, NY, died Wednesday, April 23, 2014 at her home. Therese was born in Syracuse, NY, the daughter of Elizabeth O'Connell and Frank B. Wood and lived in the Binghamton and Candor area all her life. Trez attended Stephens Institute in St. Louis, graduated from Harpur College (now Binghamton University), and began working in accounting and purchasing at IBM Endicott in 1953. She continued at IBM Owego where she held positions of authority in product manufacturing achieved by few other women at the time, retiring in 1984 to her farm in Candor. Friends recall that women who had worked at IBM, when meeting Trez, would thank her for laying the groundwork for the women who came after. Trez had a rich and busy life with many friends but her greatest passion was horses. As a child she lived on Avon Road on Binghamton's West Side where the family home had a small horse barn and chickens. She began riding at the nearby Willis Sharpe Kilmer farm, Sun Briar Stables, the home of the 1918 Kentucky Derby winner Exterminator. At one time Trez owned four horses including Honey, whose dam was a wild mustang Trez had adopted. This little Candor bred horse competed, and is still competing, in the upper levels of dressage often besting some of the best dressage horses. Therese is survived by her cousins, Mary Riddell (William) of Needham, MA and Peggy Garbooshian (Harold) of Pittsburgh, PA; her many friends, and especially the Sally Murray family. Funeral services will be held at the J.A. McCormack Sons Funeral Home, 141 Main Street Binghamton Monday at 2 p.m. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Owego. The family will receive friends at the McCormack Funeral Home Monday from 12 noon until 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please support any local animal shelter.