Nov. 19, 1939-March 25, 2012
Ken Wood, partner with Fred Lang in the Laguna Beach landscape architecture firm of Lang and Wood, died in Norway on March 25.
It was Wood’s pencil that drew the curving lines of Laguna’s Main Beach boardwalk. He started working with Lang in 1967 and they formed their partnership in 1968. He was responsible for much of the hardscape design while Lang did the planting design. Wood was instrumental in the design of Dana Point Harbor and of the many civic projects the firm completed in the 1970s. In addition to Main Beach Park, the firm was responsible for projects including the South Laguna Village Green, South Laguna General Plan, Treasure Island Master Plan, and Oak Street mini-park.
In 1983 Wood established his own firm in Laguna, whose projects included Fred Lang Park and San Clemente’s Casa Pacifica, occupied by former President Richard Nixon. In 1989, he joined RJM Design Group of San Juan Capistrano before moving in 1990 to Norway, his wife Kristin’s native country. He continued his work there as landscape architect and graphic artist.
A native of Pasadena, Wood earned degrees from Cal Poly Pomona and UC Irvine. His 1976 thesis focused on scenic highway landscape planning.
Wood exhibited his pencil drawings at the Festival of Arts and the Sawdust Festival in the mid 1970s.
He is survived by his wife, brother Win, sister Linda, daughter Kimberly Suzanne Wood Finnson, and two grandsons.
I am sitting here in my home in France and reading this obituary, which has been written for my late husband Ken Wood and I am shocked and saddened to both see the picture and read the article. An obituary is written for a person who has passed on. This obituary reminds me of an article for Lang and Wood. Lang was a partner but Ken had a long and successful career after breaking with Fred Lang in 1983 and continued to design wonderful outer spaces up until he became so ill with cancer that he no longer could continue to draw, he was then 70 years old. I am shocked as well that there are no names under the picture; so which one is Ken Wood? With today’s ease in utilizing comunication I, his wife, could have furnished pictures of my husband. Hopefully in the future your staff will be more sensitive. Sicerely, Kristin j. Wood Ph.D.