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Obituaries

Memorial Service Set For Kent Artist, Cultural Icon Robert Wood

Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent will hold service at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Editor's note: This article was updated at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 9.

A memorial service celebrating the life of Kent artist and cultural icon , will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the .

The Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer said the service will incorporate memorial plans that were being made by members of the Haymaker Farmers’ Market, where Wood regularly displayed and sold his artwork.

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Carvill-Ziemer said it’s early in the planning process, so few details are firmed up. Fritz Seefeldt will speak on behalf of the farmers’ market “community,” Katrina Pervanowski-Kohout, owner of Salt of the Earth Farm, will speak on behalf of the , and John Kluth, owner of , will speak as a friend and patron of Wood’s art.

A reception featuring a display of Wood’s artwork will immediately follow the service. Members of the farmers’ market will be providing food for the reception, and Kluth could be found in his gallery this afternoon framing pieces of Wood’s artwork for the display Saturday.

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Carvill-Ziemer said she spoke this morning with Wood’s brother, Dr. Gary Wood of Maryland, who was on his way to Ohio to make arrangements for calling hours on Friday at Shorts Spicer Crislip Funeral Home in Ravenna.

A funeral home representative said today that updates will be provided on the company’s website, and Carvill-Ziemer said the UU church will continue updating its website as details emerge.

Those who are interested in speaking at the memorial service are asked to contact Carvill-Ziemer as soon as possible by calling 330-673-4247 or emailing minister-uukent@sbcglobal.net.

“I know that a lot of people want to participate, so my challenge will be to corral the participants,” she said.

From what she’s hearing, the small church will be packed on Saturday morning.

“We’re a little challenged for space and we’re expecting a lot the market people, folks from the church, from the artist’s community and the general community. I’m expecting we’ll max out our space,” Carvill-Ziemer said.

There are currently displays of Wood's artwork at both Kluth's gallery and at

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