Paul William Wood, Ph.D.
Paul William Wood, Ph.D.
OLEAN — Dr. Paul William Wood, 93, of Olean, a beloved professor emeritus of French at St. Bonaventure University whose 35 years of teaching shaped generations of students, died peacefully at his home Saturday (July 11, 2026), following a lengthy illness.
Born March 24, 1933, in Cincinnati, Ohio, he was the son of the late Walter J. Wood and Marie Sophia Lott Wood.
A graduate of St. Gregory’s in Cincinnati, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from the Athenaeum of Ohio in 1954, a Master of Arts in French Literature from the University of Cincinnati in 1960, and a Ph.D. in French Literature from Northwestern University in 1970. He served in the U.S. Army in Korea from May 1955 to 1957
On Aug. 20, 1960, he married the former Mary Lou Donovan at St. Lawrence Church in Cincinnati. Together, they shared 65 years of marriage.
Dr. Wood, Professor Emeritus of French, joined the Modern Language Department at St. Bonaventure University in 1971 and taught every French course in the catalogue over the next 35 years, from intermediate french to advanced literature and language. He served nine years as chairman of the department and brought national recognition to the University’s language programs.
In 1972, he created “Language Day,” an annual competition on campus that grew to 6,000 high school students over 15 years. He founded the University’s chapters of the Phi Eta Sigma and Pi Delta Phi honor societies, served as National President of Pi Delta Phi, and mentored countless students through study-abroad programs that he established in France, Spain and England.
Dr. Wood was an active member of the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers (NYSAFLT) and its president in 1985; the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL); and chaired the State Council on Languages in 1989.
Beyond the classroom, Dr. Wood gave decades of service to the Olean community. He was a trustee and former Grand Knight of the Olean Council Knights of Columbus, and a trustee and former Faithful Navigator of the Regional Olean Assembly, Fourth Degree. He served for 10 years on the board of the Cattaraugus County Council Against Alcohol and Substance Abuse, as its president in 1997, and as president of the Friends of the Olean Library from 1985 to 1988. A longtime judge for the Big Thirty Academic Scholarship program since its inception, he was also a member of a barbershop quartet.
Paul and his wife, Mary Lou, established an annual full scholarship for the St. Bonaventure Swim Team and financially support the efforts of the Warming House and the Franciscan Center for Social Concern.
In addition to his wife, Mary Lou, he is survived by four children, Paul W. (Ingrid) Wood Jr., Suzanne Wood (Don) Bruckner, Douglas L. (Julie) Wood and Rebecca Wood (Joe) DiSorbo; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Along with his parents, he was predeceased by his brothers and sisters, Walter Wood, John L. Wood, Marjorie Gleason and Jean Wood de Siller.
The family extends a heartfelt thank-you to his caregivers.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at the St. Bonaventure University Chapel. Burial will follow at St. Bonaventure Cemetery with military honors to be accorded by the Allegany American Legion.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Dr. Paul W. Wood to the Franciscan Center for Social Concern at St. Bonaventure at Alice Miller Nation, Director, University Ministries, P.O. Box AR, St. Bonaventure, NY 14778.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Guenther Funeral Home, 1303 E. State St., Olean.
Online condolences can be expressed at www.guentherfh.com.
