Janet had a great deal of family and she loved nothing better than to be with as many of them as possible. She was a supportive wife to two husbands and a loving mother to eight children. She survived her husbands, Walter Rowe Lalley, Jr. and Fred Erskine Woodward, Ph.D. and a son Walter Rowe Lalley III. She is survived by seven adult children, sixteen grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Janet embraced everyone in this large family including spouses, friends and pets.
Janet loved Florida and to her delight, she spent most of her adult life in West Palm Beach, yet she had fond memories of her childhood in New England. She was born in Manchester, New Hampshire, one of four children of Anne E. Day Durell and Richard Hobbs Durell. Each summer from the age of six to eighteen, Janet hiked, swam and canoed in the White Mountains at Camp Waukeela for girls. There she developed her passion for the outdoors, athletics and music.
Janet’s life was devoted to a single generous purpose – her family. In 1940, she was drawn to the Sunshine State for lifeguard instructor training in the United States Women’s Auxiliary Corp (WAAC). Two years later, she fell in love and married her first husband Daytona Beach resident , Second Lieutenant, Walter Rowe Lalley, Jr., United States Army Corp of Engineers. Like many women of her day, she singled-parented small children while her husband served a long tour of duty in Burma during the Second World War. Upon his return, Janet and Walt settled in West Palm Beach and raised their four children.
In 1965, at Holy Trinity Church in West Palm Beach, Janet Lalley, the widow and mother of four, married Ted Woodward, a widower and father of four. Janet and Ted raised their eight children, in each of whom she showed great pride and delight. Known for her always open home and heart, she loved to entertain family, friends and spouse’s business associates. Her happiest times were hosting family gatherings, full of food, drink, laughter and stories.
Janet’s family was her central focus, but she kept up a wide span of interests. Her compassion for other people was expressed by her volunteer service with the Doctor’s Hospital Medical Auxiliary, assisting physical therapy patients, St. Faith Chapter of Holy Trinity, Junior League of the Palm Beaches, Daughters of the American Revolution, Seminole Chapter, the West Palm Beach Garden Club at Dreher Park and Portofino South Board of Directors. She was an enthusiastic bridge player.
To all who knew her, she brought grace and charm, a keen mind and a zest for life lived to the fullest. She had known bad times, and believed that the only way to meet them was with determination. You picked yourself up, dusted yourself off and got on your way. She loved her life and all the people in her life. She knew no strangers. A memorial service and celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, May 25, 2019 at 12:30 PM at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 211 Trinity Place, West Palm Beach, FL 33401.
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