Robert George Woods

Kim, Marty, Beth and I would like to tell you about our dad. Robert George Woods was born in Bishops Castle, Shropshire, England on December 26, 1938 to Bert and Alice Woods. He was the product of a mixed marriage - his father was English and his mother was Welsh - but he was equally proud of both branches of his family tree.

In 1949, Dad came to America with his parents and four siblings - Roy, Mary, Ann, and Alan - and first settled in Newcomerstown, Ohio (which is the hometown of coach Woody Hayes and likely explains the origins of Dad's passionate love for Ohio State football). Dad loved sharing stories from his boyhood in Newcomerstown: building a wall in front of his house from second hand bricks Paw Paw brought home from the brick yard, covering multiple paper routes, and working his first job at the Baltimore men's clothing store. These stories never grew old and, more importantly, they told the value of hard work - a principle he persistently instilled in us. (And that brick wall, which a curmudgeonly neighbor skeptically warned would never stand, stood at least long enough for me to see it when I was a boy.)

After graduating from Newcomertown High School in 1957, Dad proudly served in the United States Army. He had an enduring love for his adopted country - he became a naturalized citizen - and, not unlike his work ethic, passed his abiding patriotism to us.

Following his discharge from the service, Dad began work as an electronic technician with RCA in Cambridge, Ohio and soon thereafter met and married Mom - Nancy Lee Anderson. Faced with a transfer to Arizona, he decided to leave RCA and began a career in banking that lasted for over 40 years. Starting as a teller with Citizens National Bank in Zanesville, Ohio, he rose to serve as the chief executive officer of two banks - Crooksville Bank in Crooksville, Ohio and Peoples State Bank in Williamston, Michigan. Dad finished his banking career with First Citizens Bank in Columbia, SC serving as a branch manager and Assistant Vice President.

Dad was a man of unwavering integrity, honor, loyalty, and service. At all of his various stops - Ohio, Michigan, and South Carolina - he served his customers, his friends, and his community with careful attention to their needs. He was a member of the Lions Club, the Kiwanas Club, and the Ruritan Club. Dad was a Free Mason for over 50 years: he was raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason at Amity Lodge #5 in Zanesville, Ohio and was finally a member of Lower Richland Lodge #406 in Eastover, SC. He set this example of conscientious, committed, and selfless service for us and expected that we follow it.

Most importantly, Dad loved his family and was very focused on ensuring that each of us received a fair share of his attention. He was careful to spend special time with each one of us - there are too many examples for us to share - and ensured that we spent time together as a family. (Any man who would knowingly put himself, his wife, and his four children - ranging in age from 7 to 14 - in a 1975 Volkswagon Beetle and drive overnight from Crooksville, Ohio to Surfside Beach, SC to spend a July 4th weekend with his parents was truly devoted to family time.) The memory of his voice waking us on every Christmas morning with shouts of "He's been, He's been" will always remind us of the joy he had in giving to us.

Dad and Mom were married for 62 years and spent practically everyday together for the 20 years of their retirement. They both showed us what perseverance in love truly means. They knew each other completely and knew exactly how to push the right buttons: Dad's characteristic smirk would surface when he was either giving or receiving a playful jab.

Lastly, Dad was a man of quiet, but devoted, faith. As in every aspect of his life, he shared his relationship with Jesus Christ more by his example than by his words: "But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith" (James 2:18).

Dad is survived by his wife Nancy, his four children - Kimberly Ann Vizthum (Chuck), Martin Maher Woods, Robert George Woods, IV (Michelle), and Mary Elizabeth Deason (John) - his 14 grandchildren, his 19 great grandchildren, his brother Roy Woods (Dorothy), his sister Mary Douglas (Doug), and his numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents - Bert and Alice Woods - his sister Ann Taylor, his brother-in-law Raymond Taylor, his brother Alan Woods, and his nephews - Jeff Douglas, David Taylor, and Mark Woods.

Visitation will be held at Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel in Columbia, SC on Thursday, July 11 from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm with Masonic Rites following the visitation. Interment will take place on Friday, July 12 at 11:00 am at Shandon Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC.