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He thought he would drive a school bus for his good friend, Dave Eschbach. But that was not to be.
Instead, Wood makes a big difference for many disabled Lancaster County residents by providing them with transportation, and he is loving every minute of it.
"Transitioning from a very pressurized, fast-paced (business in selling manufactured housing) to this with the bus is like night and day. I really enjoy it. I feel like I'm doing something people really need," Wood said.
In order to drive a bus, the 72-year-old Quarryville resident first had to take five four-hour classes to prepare him to get his commercial driver's license.
But after Wood passed the test, Eschbach called him with the news that he needed someone right away to drive the Red Rose Access bus, and hoped Wood would agree to the change. He did.
Wood takes disabled clients — mostly from the county's southern end — to Goodwill Industries, to adult day cares such as Generations or Choices, or to the hospital or health campus for doctor appointments.
He drives about 150 to 200 miles a day, depending on where he is directed to go. "It's different every day," he said.
The Red Rose Access bus is equipped for up to four wheelchairs and four walk-ons, he said.
If the clients are in a wheelchair, the bus has an automatic lift to lower, get them on and back up into the bus.
Wood then ties the wheelchairs into the bus. "You must really strap down (the wheelchairs)," Wood said. "There are four safety harnesses. In each corner there are two in the front, two in the back and a waist and shoulder safety belt, so there is no shifting on the bus."
Wood also gives walk-ons assistance to get in their seats and put their seat belts on, he said.
"You really get close to people," Wood said. "They are such nice people and I have sympathy for them. I feel like I'm doing something for them to help get them where they need to be," Wood said.
Wood goes out early in the morning, starting to pick up his clients at 6:15 to 6:30 a.m., and getting back about 9:30 a.m. to his own home so he can read the paper or take a nap before he must leave again in the afternoon, about 2:15 to 2:30, to return his clients to their homes.
How does traffic behave toward the Red Rose Access bus?
"One thing I find with this bus is that nobody likes to follow buses because I'm traveling the speed limit. We don't speed because of our clients," Wood said. "Traffic will pass illegally or pull out in front of you. But I also find a lot of traffic knows about (who you are carrying) and cater to you, let you change lanes."
As long as he stays healthy, Wood plans to continue driving the Access bus because of the satisfaction he gets from doing it.
Also, because Eschbach is the easiest person to work for, there's no pressure like there was in the manufactured housing business, Wood said.
Wood began working in manufactured housing in 1968 as a dispatcher for 15 trucks hauling the homes from Virginia and West Virginia, and all the way to Canada.
A year or two later, Wood went into sales with Liberty Homes Inc. in Leola.
He left Liberty to go into retail sales for his now-deceased brother, Vernie, with Wood Home Sales at the Buck.
Six years later, Wood again went back to Liberty Homes, this time as a foreman.
"Seven receivers worked for me, bringing the material into the plant for the production of the homes," he said.
He then managed the sales lot at John's Home Sales in New Providence for five years and then went to Champion Homes in Sangerfield, N.Y., where he traveled every week, for more than 5 years, to various retailers.
Wood was recalled again to Liberty Homes to work in sales and won several awards, including Salesman of the Year.
For the last 12 years, Wood worked for Redman Homes in Ephrata.
"That was the best move I ever made," Wood said. "The staff was just great. The sales people had a lot of years' experience. I was the oldest one, but we were very, very close-knit. We had a good sales force with a lot of camaraderie."
Two years before retiring from Redman, Wood received the Eastern Region Sales Manager of the Year award, which earned him a trip to Las Vegas.
