William F. Woods, Sr.

Woods, Sr. William Francis, passed peacefully in his sleep on February 27th at the age of 88 after a long illness. "Bill was born in 1925 in West New York, NJ to Joseph and Mary Woods. He attended St. Peters Prep, Jersey City, NJ where he won outstanding athletic honors. His athletic prowess won him a scholarship to Manhattan College, New York for football. Woods graduated from Aviation Ordnance School during WWII at the Naval Air Technical training center in Memphis, TN as an aviation ordnanceman and served time in Astoria, OR and Bayonne, NJ. After serving his country in the Navy from 1943-1946, he returned to Manhattan College on a basketball scholarship. In 1986, he retired from his field of Education from the Ramapo-Indian Hills Regional District in Northern NJ. Woods received his B.A. in Education from Manhattan College, his Masters in Education Administration from NYU, where he also received all the credits towards his Ph.D with the exception of his final dissertation. The Woods family moved from West New York to Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ in 1952 and resided there until 2013 when he and his wife of 64 years, Margaret(Peggy), nee(Loughran) moved to an independent living complex in Wakefield, RI to be near family. While teaching and coaching at Ramapo, he also managed the Wyckoff Recreation Program and coached Little League Football in Ho-Ho-Kus, which allowed many young boys of all skill levels to enjoy various sports throughout the years. He believed that all players should play, and all players should receive equal recognition for their contributions. An avid golfer, he was a long time member at Old Tappan Golf Club, and for many decades a member of St. Lukes R.C. Church in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ. Woods is predeceased by his two brothers Joseph J. Woods of Virginia and John Woods of Dumont, NJ. He is survived by the aforementioned Peggy Woods as well as three sons, Bill Jr. of Charlestown, RI; Kenneth of Berthoud, CO; and Michael of West Bolton, VT. His eldest daughter, Catherine(Schneidenbach) also resides in Charlestown, RI. His daughter, Marybeth(nee Fredette) pre-deceased him in 1995. There are 9 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial will tbe celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 29th, at St. Marys R.C. Church, 437 Carolina Back Road (Rt 112), Richmond, RI with a family burial service sometime in the spring at the family plot, Marycrest(Mahwah, NJ). In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Home and Hospice Care Center, 1085 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02904-9826.