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Jake and daughter Elizabelle enjoying time together at the Saint Louis Magic House. 

Jake Wood

Jake Wood brings a high level of logic to everything he does.

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Pictured above is a high school aged Jake enjoying the fruits of his labor. He used the profits from working at a local pizza/ice cream shop to upgrade his home computer.

Living up to his title of Engineer, Jake can examine something, down to its very fabric or fundamental principles. For instance, when it comes to hobbies like playing video games, he cannot check his logical brain at the door (so to speak). 

He would wonder, “Would Sonic the Hedgehog really take a turn that quickly or cast a shadow in that direction?” And whatever game he played, he had to finish it, or in gamer speak, “100% it.” This led to him becoming a master of the Sega Genesis. Without a doubt, this iron-sharp attention to detail has helped him excel as an engineer, but in his younger years, it helped him avoid trouble as an adolescent.

Pictured here with his sister, Jake spent his early years in Newport News, Virginia.

One day after school, a young Jake Wood was enjoying his favorite pastime. His father, although known to enjoy the family PlayStation himself on occasion, often discouraged Jake from indulging in video games. So, it was key Jake leave no trace that any gaming had taken place that afternoon. But to his horror, a serious foil to his plan was about to arise.

Somehow in the midst of playing, Jake completely erased the memory card his dad used to save his progress. His father would soon be home and notice that something was missing. Jake had to act fast. 

LEFT: Jake (on the far right) with his mother, brother and sister. This photo was taken to send to his dad who was stationed overseas in Saudi Arabia at the time. RIGHT:  Jake visiting family in Panama including his grandma and her seven kids.

Luckily, the young Mr. Wood was somewhat of a savant when it came to electronic gaming. In a furious panic, he played through all the levels up to the point where his Dad had left off and successfully covered his digital tracks. Later that evening, Jake observed his father as he played the game, waiting to see if he noticed any irregularities. He did not. To this day, it remains a secret from his dad.  

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A rare glimpse of Jake enjoying time outdoors on one of his dad’s boats. 

This prowess for quick thinking provides a window into Jake—a man it seems, with an uncommon ability to understand systems. Be it in the world of programming, board or video games, he can understand the parameters and logic informing these worlds. He dissects things, down to their minute, essential elements to build a thoughtful solution. 

After deciding to get married, the practical and sensible nature of Jake Wood clashed with the inflated, senseless pricing of weddings. For example, when Jake learned the price of a wedding cake, he decided to learn how to decocorate the dessert himself. He can now add ornate flowers of icing to any cake, cookie and cupcake he desires. In his mind, this provided the opportunity to gain a new skill and save money—a win-win in his book. 

Being so logical, Jake finds many traditions perplexing. “Why are we doing this?” he often asks. But this is not out of cynicism, he's simply expressing a genuine curiosity to uncover the rationale behind this activity. 

One tradition Jake does understand is Winter Solstice. The thought of setting aside time when weather makes work more difficult and far less desirable makes sense to his logical brain. When nothing is growing, we should slow things down and take measures to rest.

A tradition Jake has forged himself has been an annual board game tournament held at his house. A celebration for friends and family to match wits and enjoy each other's company. In the inaugural tournament, Jake emerged victorious but, in an act of integrity, he declined the winning trophy and instead gave it to the second place winner. This act of humility provides a window into the character of Jake Wood. He is a man who values harmony over victory. He didn’t want his triumph to cloud the sentiment behind the occasion and cause his friends and family to wonder if this was an elaborate scheme for Jake to show his board game skills. But considering the qualities he exudes, nobody would ever accuse him of acting in such a sinister manner. All of this, would run counter to the thoughtful, considered person known as Jacob Wood. 

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Jake pictured with his wife Mandy. 

When it came to his children, Jake brought this patented, mathematical approach to naming his son. His wife Mandy named their first child, Elizabelle. And now, it was his turn to assign their second offspring a name.  

Jake began by contemplating Jake Jr. or Jacobson (which translates as, “son of Jacob”) but Mandy suggested he push further. He then began examining the syllables and the individual letters of his own name. J-A-C-O-B has five letters, two syllables, his initials are JAW and there's a hard “C” on the third letter. Take all that and add the first letter of his wife’s name and you end up with, “Marco.” Like his actual DNA, Jake wanted Marco to be a unique expression of Mandy and himself. As he grows, one can imagine Marco will never accuse his father of not putting thought into his name.  

Jake is a remarkably calm and measured individual. He takes in every question and tries to deliver a clear, thoughtful response to your query. He does not often fall victim to hyperbole and provides only the facts whenever possible. Many of us pride ourselves on being objective, but examples (as seen above) demonstrate that Jake is clearly more reasoned than most mere mortals. 

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