Yuku free message boards

Beloved bandleader leaves indelible imprint
http://www.triangletribune.com/index.php?src=news&refno=1839&category=Focus

Published Wednesday, March 4, 2009 7:00 pm
by Special To The Tribune

RALEIGH - William E. Woods Sr.'s philosophy of "perfect practice prevents poor performance" created a legacy of near-perfection for the bands that played under his leadership at Saint Augustine's College.

That philosophy could also be applied to life, said his sons' William, Tyler and Christian.

His wife, Geraldine, whom Woods affectionately called "Gi," said Woods was a musical purist who put God, family and music on the top of his life's list.

His passion for music required him to manage his time carefully so that he could also keep his family a priority, and he did so successfully, she said. Though his hours weren't the traditional 8-to-5, Woods said her husband balanced work and family well, crediting him for being "a wonderful husband, father, brother and friend. "He was definitely a family man," she said.

Woods is credited with developing St. Aug's marching band, and leading the pep and jazz bands. When he passed away unexpectedly last week at the CIAA Tournament, he left a far-reaching legacy that will never be forgotten and that he worked hard to develop. His full career began after receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in music education at N.C. A&T and a master's degree in music from Combs College in Philadelphia.

"He never met a stranger. He was a people person, very social. His handicap was that he thought everybody was his friend. To know Bill Woods was to love Bill Woods," Geraldine, his wife of 33 years, said.

Also an educator, Geraldine Woods excelled in her own professional field of English but was one of her husband's biggest fans. She shares that admiration with their three sons. "The boys were his pride and joy," she said. The middle son, Tyler, is his father's protégé, a "driver of perfection" - like his father - who writes, directs, produces and composes.

That perfectionism is the reason her husband received recognition for his work with every band he directed. He enjoyed the nicknames his students gave him - like "Dr. Spock" - for his ears. And his favorite word was "Bingo!" when his students performed up to his standards.

They knew those standards all too well: "no practice, no performance" and "If you're on time, you're late," Geraldine Woods said. The students knew it was for their own good. "They bought into whatever he sold," she said.

While his resume lists 17 bands, he also directed choirs, taught drama, coached tennis and served on the PTA. He played for four church choirs and started the instrumental music program at Louisburg College.

But music always played a major role. "It was his life. The comfort I have is that he died doing what he loved," Geraldine Woods said.

St. Aug's plans to host a memorial service for their beloved bandleader March 11 at noon in the Historic Chapel on campus. Woods' funeral is March 6 at Allen Chapel Baptist Church in Louisburg. Expressions of sympathy can be sent to Richardson's Funeral Home, 607 S. Main St., Louisburg, NC 27549.