On February 12, 2018, Anson Trent Woods “slipped the surly bonds of earth…and touched the face of God.” Trent was born on October 17, 1929, in Arnett, Oklahoma, to Anson Woods and Beulah Shields Woods. He joined sister Jeanne Yvonne and was followed by sister Carolyn Fae.

Trent attended Arnett schools until moving to Catesby in 1943. There the family were active members of the Catesby United Methodist Church. Graduating from Shattuck High School in 1947, Trent then attended Oklahoma Military Academy for one year and later graduated from Oklahoma A & M with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and from the University of Oklahoma with a Master’s degree in Petroleum Engineering.

On a snowy Christmas day in 1948, he and Marilyn Morris were joined in marriage in the bride’s childhood home. They made their first home together in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where daughter Pamela Sue and son Robert Trent were born. After Trent completed his education, the family moved to Rangely, Colorado, where Trent worked for the California Oil Company (later, Chevron). In 1957 the family moved to Milan, Italy, where Trent worked for Booz Allen Hamilton, as a consultant to the Italian energy company ENI (Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi). Upon returning to the States, the family resided in Dallas, Texas, with Trent continuing his work in the oil business. Later, Trent and Marilyn lived in Reno, Nevada, and Elk City, Idaho, where Trent pursued mining interests and owned and operated the Elk City General Store. After retirement, they returned to Shattuck, Oklahoma, where they have enjoyed spending time with family and friends, both old and new.

Through Trent and Marilyn’s various journeys, they consistently made wonderful friends, had a lot of fun, and made a positive impact in their communities. For years, they were active in the Republican Party and Save Our Forest, culminating with Trent taking a delegation to Washington, D.C. to testify to Congress regarding the Idaho forests. Trent’s longest term of service was his twenty-one years on the Board of Trustees of Joint District 241 schools, including twelve years as Chairman. Throughout his tenure on the school board, Trent was unfailingly dedicated to the students and teachers, always pursuing new opportunities for them. Recently, Trent concluded his service on another board, the Newman Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees of Shattuck Hospital Authority.

In addition to his career and community service, Trent was always curious and interested in learning simply for the sake of learning something new. He enjoyed fishing, gardening, nature, cooking, shooting pool, and visiting with friends and family; and he always appreciated a good meal. He was particularly passionate about flying, having obtained his private pilot’s license in 1965, and he was a proud member of the United Flying Octogenarians, AOPA, and the American Bonanza Society.

Trent is preceded in death by his parents, his sister Jeanne Wheeler, and brothers-in-law Fritz Wheeler and Don Riffel.

He is survived by his beloved wife of sixty-nine years, Marilyn, children Pam (David) Meyercord and Bob (Nickki) Woods, and sister Carolyn Riffel. He adored his grandchildren: Rebecca (Rob) Bruant, Susan Meyercord, Martha (Aaron) Mattox, Lucas (Ashley) Woods, Lauren Woods, Heidi Swearingen Gillespie, Riann Swearingen Grigsby, and Robert Swearingen; and his seventeen great-grandchildren. He leaves behind numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was greatly admired and loved, and he will be greatly missed.

Services will be held Saturday February 17, 2018 at 2:00 pm at the Catesby United Methodist Church, Catesby, Oklahoma with burial following at the Shattuck Memorial Cemetery, Shattuck, Oklahoma.