Born July 26, 1936, Passaic, New Jersey
Roy Woolf of Jacksonville, Florida, passed away quietly in his sleep with his family at his side on February 7th, 2022.
He was the son of the late Sammy and Ann Woolf, beloved husband to his wife of 63 years, Jacqueline (“Jackie”) Woolf and Son-in-Law to the late Joe and Goldie Miller.
Beloved brother of Margo Cohen Feinberg and the late Bunny Nickamin. Beloved brother-in-law to Bob Feinberg, the late Maurice Cohen, the late Alan Nickamin, Bernice Miller, and the late Melvin Miller.
Beloved father of Randy, Scott, and Tod Woolf. Father-in-law to Kathleen Supové, Mary Lamar, and Laura Woolf.
Cherished “Papa Roy” to Emily, Sam, Hannah, Jake, and Max Woolf.
Beloved uncle to Leslie Cohen, Eaden and Deva Shantay, Jeffry Jay Cohen, Andy and the late Leah Mondry, Susan and Todd Richheimer, Melissa and Chris Spence, David and Angie Nickamin, Aaron and Weina Nickamin, Adam and Anne Nickamin, Debbie and Jon Kurtzman, Kim and Stuart Rich, Pamela Miller and her husband Brad Osterweil and grand-uncle to all 23 children of his nieces and nephews. Beloved cousin to more than 50 others from the extended Woolf and Miller clans.
Beloved life-long friend of Sherry Wittenberg, Barbara and the late Marty Kopitz, Florence and the late Sidney Cohen, Sonny and Marcia Moss, Norman and the late Barbara Olson, Gayle Jaffe, Gail Young and the late Sam Young and honorary “Uncle Roy” to all of their children.
Beloved friend of Anita and the late Harvey Zalesin, Rhoda and the late Jordan Raider, Dave and Anita Lieberman, Saul and Laura Fineman, Bob Lischetti, Herb and Sherry Green, Paul Cutcliffe, Del Couch, Martha and Alan Deverone, Sandra Cutcliffe and her partner, Sally Lehto, and his many friends from Brookdale Southside in Jacksonville.
Roy was born into a large and loving family of first-generation Americans mainly from Detroit. He spent summers in his youth with cousins at Woodhull Lake and at a Catskills resort owned by his family. Roy’s mother, Ann, was a gymnast/acrobat, and his father, Sammy, was a much-cherished local Detroit entertainer. Roy doted on his sisters Margo and Bunny, and they remained close to him throughout their lives.
He met his wife, Jackie, when she was 15 and he was 17, and they became engaged to marry at her high school prom. Roy’s love of Jackie was legendary – they were “joined at the hip.” Jackie’s artistic talents complemented her husband’s mechanical skills. Together, they shared their love of family, friends, their dogs, dining, the arts, and boating. With Jackie’s fashion sense, Roy was always sharply dressed.
A practical joker in high school who did not fully apply himself academically, Roy excelled in team sports and bodybuilding. He became a more serious student in college and then entered the University of Detroit Dental School.
He served in the Michigan National Guard reserve as a medic for seven years. A “dentist’s dentist,” Roy was a perfectionist whose work was deeply appreciated by his many patients. After 27 years of dentistry, Roy stepped away from his medical career to help operate his son Scott’s construction company.
Roy was an early member and served as president of the Birmingham Temple, where Humanistic Judaism was founded. In his early years he loved boating on Cass Lake, then later on Lake Charlevoix and Lake Michigan, and finally on the Gulf Coast of Florida. He was an early adopter of technology. His family had the first TV on the block and Roy owned the first digital watch and the first Mac computer. In his later years, Roy was highly active on social media.
He also was an engaged, hands-on father to his three sons before being a hands-on father was the norm, tossing them through the air in swimming pools, attending their sports events and teaching them to drive when they were in their early teens and attending musical events of his son composer and pianist Randy and his daughter-in-law pianist Kathy Supové. A natural teacher, Roy also provided valued wisdom and advice to his grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. “Uncle Roy” was the go-to person when they were afraid to tell their parents about something gone awry.
Retiring at 62 to Florida left Roy time for boating and connecting with his five grandchildren: teaching them to ride bikes and to swim, to drive cars and pilot boats. His son Tod and daughter-in-law Laura, along with their children Hannah, Jake, and Max, and son Randy and his wife Kathy traveled from Boston or NY to Florida in the winters and to Charlevoix in the summers to visit Jackie and Roy, who were also very active in helping to raise their grandchildren, Emily and Sam, who lived in Florida. They spent three months living in hotels with Sam, serving as chaperones during Sam’s journey with the American Idol Top Five. Roy relished the doting grandfather role for the cameras to boost online votes for Sam.
Roy fought hard to maintain his health for years longer than doctors expected and enjoyed many good times with his friends and family in his last years. He was supported throughout his health challenges by his wife Jackie, son’s Tod, Scott and Randy, granddaughter Emily, grandson Sam, sister Margo and her family, friends Saul and Laura Fineman, and his home care aids Kyle and Justin.
Roy had an infectious zest for life and lived the American Dream. He was a constant source of guidance and enthusiasm to help his children, grandchildren, and nieces and nephews find their paths in life.
A Zoom accessible Memorial Service will be held at a time to be announced and an in-person celebration of his life will be held in Charlevoix, MI this summer.
Donation recommended for the Michigan Dental Association Foundation (Ways to Give - MDA Foundation (michigandental.org)
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.hgmandarin.com for the Woolf family.
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