Sally Ann Wood

Sally Ann Wood (née Shultz), age 83, passed away peacefully in her home in Devon, PA, March 12, 2023, surrounded by the love of her family after a long battle with congestive heart failure.  A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, brilliant designer, inspirational friend and generous volunteer, she left a beautiful mark on both the natural world as well as in many people’s hearts.

Sally was born on September 22, 1939, in Philadelphia, PA, the only daughter of Peggy Fisher and Ellis O. Shultz and sister of Robert Ellis Shultz.  Growing up in Penn Valley, she graduated from Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, PA, and went on to attend Mount Holyoke College (Class of ’61), where she performed with the water ballet team and met the love of her life and future husband of 50 years, Tom Wood (Amherst ’61).  After graduation, Tom followed her back to Philadelphia, where they were married in 1963.

While raising two daughters, Sally returned to school at Temple University, receiving her associate degree in landscape design and quickly becoming a much sought-after and highly acclaimed landscape designer in and around the greater Philadelphia area.  She was a member of and leader in The Weeders Garden Club for 55 years, served on the Horticulture Committee of The Garden Club of America, won several first-place ribbons at the Annual Philadelphia Flower Show and, later in life, served on the Board of Directors of Jenkins Arboretum in Devon, PA, and the Board of Advisors and Board Alumni Council of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Maine.

In addition to her gardening talents, Sally was highly creative with her art supplies and in the kitchen.  After retiring from landscape design, she immersed herself in watercolor painting, enjoying plein air painting with a group of friends in Cushing, Maine, and art projects on the porch with her family.  She was a renowned hostess and cook, admired by many for her beautiful dinner tables and gourmet meals.  

She and Tom enjoyed traveling and sailing with friends and family.  In 2001, they built a summer home in Cushing, Maine, where they immersed themselves in the beauty of the coast and the activities of the community.  After losing Tom in 2013 to pancreatic cancer, Sally continued to enjoy her summers in Maine where her family gathers every year.

Sally was a voracious reader, devoted viewer and supporter of Public Television and passionate conservationist.  She loved to garden, arrange flowers, play card games, and plan activities with her grandchildren, teaching them how to make fairy houses in the woods and play Pounce, her favorite card game.  She always showed interest in other people and had a knack for mentoring anyone who showed an interest in any of her many talents.  She will be remembered for her discerning eye, generous spirit and infectious twinkle.

Her legacy lives on in her two daughters, Julia Wood DeVuono (Jeff), and Melissa Wood Brewster (George); six grandchildren, Jack, Anna and Grace DeVuono, Quinton, Hadley and Davis Brewster; her brother, Robert Ellis Shultz, and her numerous loving family and friends.

A memorial gathering will be held Friday, June 2, 2023, 11:00 am, at the Main Line Unitarian Church in Devon, PA.  

In lieu of flowers, her family requests that donations be sent to Jenkins Arboretum or Coastal Maine Botanical Garden.