An earthly spirit of love, generosity, kindness, and caring was sent soaring through the pearly gates with the unexpected passing of Kim Wood this past Friday, June 3, 2022. As she reunites with the family and friends who went before her, an honored seat at the table of selflessness and non-judgement is now hers.

Kim came to beautify this world on May 1, 1961. The adopted daughter of Jim and Connie Morris, she soon exhibited the flare for creativity and athleticism that would define much of her professional and leisure life.

If it is true that creatives are born, not made, Kim just might have gotten in line twice when the genes were distributed. Turning her eye for art and design into a career, Kim was the creative force behind the 2005 founding of Kim Wood Designs — and along with partner Lisa Clary, Britny Wilczewski, and Pam Duneman, the firm brought color, warmth, and sophistication to scores of Springfield homes and businesses. Quite accomplished with a brush, Kim's legacy also lives on by way of the many murals she composed over the years — and though not a musician, her musical taste was broad and she could always be found moving to the beat of that day's favored genre.

In June of 1972, Title IX was enacted into law, granting young women greater access to, among other things, school-sponsored sports programs. Athletic and competitive, Kim was an avid tennis player who took full advantage of this new opportunity by becoming a member of the Glendale High School women's tennis team. That team went on to become the first to win the MSHSAA state tournament in 1975. In recognition of this accomplishment, she, along with her Glendale teammates, was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame this past April. In this, she joins her father, Jim Morris, who was inducted into The Hall in 2020 for his accomplishments and contributions to the game of golf. Maintaining her enthusiasm for the sport throughout her life, she continued to play right up to, and including, her last day.

Travel was a cherished part of Kim's life, and she called Laguna, California her "happy place". An artistic colony in its own right, Laguna offered Kim not only the opportunity to relax by the sea, but to explore emergent trends in art and design that might eventually make their way to the heartland, courtesy of her design studio. Along with her car-enthusiast son Griffin, she would indulge her passion for exotic automobiles, sometimes joining with other exotic owners for scenic southern California drives in her McLaren. Overseas, Ireland was a favored destination, and a trip to the Emerald Isle was on the books for later this year. She loved the music there, and undoubtedly would have been spotted reeling and jigging down the streets of Cork and Dublin.

Finally, no human is really complete without the companionship of a good dog or two — right? Kim dearly loved her dogs, Foxy the Husky and Java the Australian Shepard mix, who returned all the love she gave to them, and like Kim herself, provided without judgement an earnest and sympathetic ear.

Kim was an exceptional human being in many ways, as were her parents, Jim and Connie Morris, who precede her through the gates — and as with her parents, she will be deeply missed by many. Surviving Kim are her sons Spencer James Wood, Maxwell Francis Wood, and Griffin Stewart Wood; brother James Francis Morris Jr; step-mother Lorna Morris, and her sons' father, Neal Morgan Wood.

Visitation will be Friday, June 10, 2022 from 12:00pm - 2:00pm at Christ Episcopal Church, 601 E Walnut in Springfield. Burial will be a private affair with a Celebration of Life to follow at 6:30pm at Hickory Villas, 3810 E Cherry, Springfield.