Local artist and long-time resident, Vera T. Wood, passed away on January 9 at the age of 84. Born February 13, 1920 in Pimlico, London, England, she was the youngest of four siblings. Vera was a self-taught artist, spending much of her childhood playing in Kensington Gardens at Hyde Park. She admired the statues and was most impressed by the very famous Peter Pan statue by Sir George James Frampton.
PHOTO BY KATINA WOOD DESMOND  |
In 1930, at the age of 10, Vera and her family came to the United States and settled in Santa Cruz. Vera was encouraged to develop her artistic talent and began her professional career at age 18. In her early twenties, she met and married artist Cyril C. Wood and moved to Santa Monica. Vera and Cy started a family and a jewelry-making business and moved to Topanga in 1950. Her early childhood impressions inspired many of the elfin figures and fantasy drawings that fill Vera's body of work, and many of her designs are now collector items under the trademark "Cyvra."
Throughout her life, Vera was a tremendously loving and giving person who genuinely cared for others
. She is survived by her four daughters: Lannis Raffael, Lynn Crutcher, Karen Moran and Katina Desmond; eight grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 29th, at Topanga Christian Fellowship, 269 Old Topanga Canyon Road.
