Bennett Wood of Darien passed away peacefully on February 27, 2016 surrounded by the family that cherished him.
Bennett T. Wood, 23, passed away on Saturday. His funeral will be on Friday.
Ben was born on July 15, 1992 in Norwalk. He graduated from Darien High School in 2010 and attended Bucknell University for two years before transferring to Fairfield University, where he was scheduled to graduate in May.
He was a biology major who loved animals and the outdoors. An enthusiastic reader, rock climber and mountain biker, Ben particularly enjoyed fly-fishing and had become very skilled at fly casting and fly tying. In addition to fishing local waters, he spent considerable time fishing in Wyoming and Montana.
A member of Trout Unlimited, Ben had been interning with that organization since May 2015 working on river restoration projects geared towards improving water quality and habitat for trout in Connecticut and New York.
He had recently accepted a job to work with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game as a fisheries biological aide following his graduation from college. He was on his way and full of excitement for the future.
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— an obituary from Edward Lawrence Funeral Home
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Beloved by his family and close circle of friends, he is survived by his parents Kendall and Bruce; his brothers Griffin and Tyler; his grandparents Kevin Bradley and Ruth Wood; his aunt Betsy Bigler; his uncles Paul Bigler, Wilfred Vallely and Graham Agee; and his numerous cousins. He was predeceased by his grandparents, Patricia Bradley and James Wood, and by his aunt, Allison Agee.
Last year Ben registered to be an organ donor, and his wish to help others has been honored. His parents understand that his donations have helped save the lives of five people, at least four of whom are children, and they could not be more proud.
All who knew Ben will miss his warmth, compassion and sparkle. A service to celebrate Ben’s life will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, March 4, at Noroton Presbyterian Church in Darien.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a separate fund being established in Ben’s honor with the Mianus Chapter of Trout Unlimited to help fund future summer internships and river restoration projects. Donations may be made online or checks (payable to the Mianus Chapter of Trout Unlimited with “The Bennett Wood Stewardship Fund” in the memo line) may be mailed to: Mianus Trout Unlimited, P.O. Box 475, Wilton, CT 06897.