J. Woods Obituary

J. Olin Woods was born in Montrose, Colorado, on July 6, 1916, and passed away in Napa, California, on October 14, 2008, at 92 years of age. Woods died suddenly of a staph infection (MRSA). He was the oldest of seven children and was a guiding force in the lives of his younger siblings. He owned and operated Woods Radiator Shop in Fresno for 46 years, 1947 through 1993. He ran his business until he was 77 years old, when he retired to care for his wife, Florence, who suffered from Alzheimer's Disease and who passed away in 2004. Woods served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a B-17 pilot during World War II and, after a hiatus of 30 years, resumed flying with the Chandler Flying Club at age 60. An extremely optimistic and hard working individual, Woods grew his business from a one tank radiator shop to the largest and arguably the best radiator shop in the Fresno area. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, a major booster of San Joaquin Memorial High School, and joined with other dads to build by hand the first addition to Our Lady of Victory Grammar School in 1954. He was devoted to his wife of 60 years, his children, and his adopted Catholic faith. For the last 12 years, he resided at the Veterans Home in California in Yountville, CA, where he set records for the most consecutive days on the golf links. He is survived by his children, James Olin and Claudia Woods, and their three children, Davis, Ca.; Stephen and Theresa Woods, and their four children, Colorado Springs, Co.; and Mary K Champagne and her family, of Fort Bragg, Ca. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, Fresno, Ca., on Tuesday, October 21, 2008, at 1:00 p.m. Interment will follow at St. Peter's Cemetery. Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Home, 1525 E. Saginaw, Fresno, CA 93704