Raymond Wood, 64; Graphic Designer Created Pictographs for the ’84 Olympics in L.A.

Raymond Wood, a graphic designer best known for creating the pictographs used at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, has died. He was 64.

Wood died at his home in Los Angeles on Jan. 1 of pancreatic cancer, according to his wife, Patricia Mace.

Over the years, Wood created logos for such products as Kirin Beer, Ryder trucks, Thrifty drugstores, National Car Rental and Fox broadcasting. He also created logos for the California Tourist Board and TreePeople. Born in London, Wood took to art at an early age and by 16 was employed as a lettering artist. He graduated from St. Martin’s School of Art and the London School of Printing and Graphic Arts.

He moved to the United States in 1959 and settled in Boston. He joined the Air Force, where he spent much of his time painting portraits of officers and formal renderings of military aircraft.

After leaving the Air Force, he moved to Los Angeles and began a career in graphic design.

Working initially for the firm Gould and Associates, he designed programs for Pepsi, Revlon and Paul Masson Vineyards, among other clients.

Known primarily for his package designs, lettering and corporate logos, he worked for many years at Bright and Associates as senior vice president and creative director.

It was while working for the Bright firm that he designed the pictographs that became recognizable at the various competition venues at the 1984 Games.

His work won numerous awards from industry organizations, including the Art Directors Club in both New York and Los Angeles, the Institute of Graphic Arts and the Society of Typographic Arts.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his mother, Evelyn Jacobs, of London.