Although not a member of the Stirling Philatelic Society, Ross often attended our Annual competitions as a Judge. Ross was a man generous with his time and encouraged members to further their exhibiting. Ross was a stalwart of the philatelic community and dedicated to the hobby. The committee and members extend their deepest condolences to his wife and family.
Glen Stafford (WAPC PRO) has compiled a list of some of Ross’s achievements below:
Vale: Ross Wood FAP (1945 – 2018)
I am having extreme trouble writing this Vale for Ross Wood, as he was a very close personal and philatelic friend. I met him for the first time in 2000 when he judged my novice class exhibit at Philatelic Society of Rockingham and Kwinana Districts. Along with John DiBiase, he encouraged me to be involved with organised philately. He encouraged and mentored me in organised philately over the following 18 years.
Ross Wood provided outstanding services to organised philately in many executive capacities. Some of his roles included the following:
He served for 38 years at the Philatelic Society of WA (PSWA) in the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Committee Member;
25 years on the Western Australian Philatelic Council (WAPC) in the positions of President, Vice President, Public Development Officer and Secretary;
17 years with the Australian Philatelic Federation (APF) in the positions of President, Vice President, Immediate Past President and Secretary.
Ross was the APF’s Aerophilately Commission Delegate – a role he had held for the past 15 years. Ross was also the longest serving APF executive.
At the international level, Ross had been the current President of the FIP Aerophilately Commission in addition to being an internationally qualified judge for both FIAP and FIP exhibitions in the areas of Postal Stationery and Aerophilately.
From 2009 to 2015, Ross served as the President of FISA (Federation of Aero and Astro Philately) and had been a FISA Board Member since 2009, representing Australasia.
Ross had been the long-time editor of several philatelic publications including: PSWA’s Stamp Hinges journal for 30 years; the WAPC’s Stamp Groper journal for 21 years; and, more recently, The Australian Aerophilatelist for the Australian Airmail Society.
Ross must have known how to squeeze more than 24 hours into each day, because he had also found time to hold more than ten exhibiting / judging workshops at the state and national levels. He had run Aerophilately exhibiting workshops at the national level, such as the one held during the Canberra 2010 show. Also at the international FIP level during Melbourne 2013, PhilaKorea 2014 and Singapore 2015. Ross also championed the successful introduction of the new state-level ‘Subject’ class in recent years.
In 1997, his strong contribution to the WA philatelic world was recognised with Ross being awarded the EM Hasluck Medal – the highest philatelic award in WA. He had also been awarded life membership in both the Western Australian Philatelic Council and the Philatelic Society of WA.
In 2016, Ross was awarded the highest honour that Australian Organised Philately can give with an APF Fellow of the Australian Philatelic Order (FAP).
To top it off, for those of us who had the pleasure to know him as a personal friend, he was not only a collector, judge and exhibitor; he was a tireless worker, volunteer and a top bloke. We had many jovial late nights together in various places around the world discussing stamps, horse racing and his beloved Collingwood Football Club.
Ross, you will be sadly missed by the whole philatelic community.
Glen Stafford