Dr. John Joseph Woods

November 10, 1926 – August 8, 2025

Dr. John Joseph Woods, educator, community leader, and proud World War II veteran, passed away on August 8, 2025, on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He was 98.

Born in Syracuse, New York, on November 10, 1926, John left high school at 17 to join the U.S. Army Air Forces, serving honorably in Guam in the closing months of World War II—a chapter of his life he treasured and often reflected on.

After returning home, John pursued his education with focus and perseverance, earning degrees from SUNY Empire State College, SUNY Brockport, and a Doctor of Education from the University of Rochester. He also completed professional studies at Harvard University!s Graduate School of Education.

John!s early career included work in industry as Director of Personnel and Public Relations at Alliance Tool Corp., but his deepest professional passion lay in education. He served as Superintendent of the Rochester Tooling & Machining Institute, Executive Director of the Monroe County School Boards Association, and President of the New York State School Boards Association. For many years, he shared his experience as a lecturer at the University of Rochester, SUNY Brockport, RIT, Roberts Wesleyan College, and SUNY Empire State College.

Committed to civic life, John was a 15-year member—and five-year President—of the Greece Central School Board, where he was especially proud to support efforts toward greater educational opportunity and diversity. He also served as President of the Greece Public Library Board and the Greece Chamber of Commerce, and volunteered with Camp Good Days and Special Times, the Boy Scouts of America, and numerous other community organizations.

John and his wife Ann shared a full life together, traveling extensively both in the United States and abroad. They enjoyed many years of love and joy, with each other, their family, and their friends. John was always busy with a myriad hobbies throughout his life including skiing, golf, and kayaking. An avid photographer, he captured thousands of images over the decades and maintained a home darkroom, developing his own film well into his 90s.

A lifelong reader, John began each day with two newspapers and ended many afternoons with a hardcover book. Those who knew him remember his ready smile, his distinctive laugh, and the pride he took in the accomplishments of his children and grandchildren.

John is survived by his loving wife Ann; children Gregory (Lizann), Douglas (Mary), Lori (John), Dion (Marie), Craig, and, Carrie (Joe) as well as many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and extended family and friends.

A graveside service will be held at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, Massachusetts, on Monday, August 18, 2025, at 12:30 p.m.. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the Friends of the Greece Public Library greecepubliclibrary.org or to the Sisters of Mercy www.sistersofmercy.org

I was sad to learn of John's passing. He was a friend and mentor for many years in Rochester, NY. I had the privilege of knowning and working with him during his time as Executive Director of the Monroe County School Boards Association (MCSBA) and my time as Supervisor of the Town of Brighton for 20 years. As an officer and ultimately President of the MCSBA, John shared a passion for public service with a focus on public education, and his guidance and leadership made our community a better place. He cared deeply about those who worked along side him to advance public policy and practices in our local schools. After we each retired, we stayed in contact for a while and enjoyed fond memories. He lived a long life and fruitful life, caring about fairness and excellence in education for all students, and the importance of gaving back to the community. May he rest in peace, and may his memory be a blessing.

The Veterans Outreach Center extends our deepest sympathy in John's passing. We acknowledge and are truly grateful for his service to our country.

Wow. After reading some of these messages, I wish I could have had the pleasure of meeting your father. Je sounds like he was an amazing man, and you all were so blessed to see him reach his 98th birthday! What a very full life he must have had; I can feel the love & respect for him as I was reading some of these condolences. It is so hard to say goodbye, I know…Grandma was the matriarch of our family and my best friend when she passed at 94 in 2018 & I stiill think about her daily!♥️ She was the toughest woman I knew w pearls of wisdom & a sense of humor that never stopped!

.Carrie, we are sorry to learn of your dads passing. What an impressive career. You have great memories. God Bless

Lori, Ann, and extended family. This is SAD. MY GEART HURTS FOR ALL.

Even though I knew this moment was inevitable, it is still difficult to process. Uncle John was so full of life, even up to his smile and warm laugh from his hospital bed the day before he passed away. All my memories of him, going back to when I was a young boy (55+ years ago), are punctuated with that same smile and laughter. It was impossible not to be affected by his warmth and love. Because we lived on opposite sides of the country, I didn’t get to spend nearly enough time with him, but when I did get the chance to pass through the Northeast, I always made sure I’d swing in and visit him and Ann. My father, Dave, uncle John’s younger brother, passed away just over 20 months ago. He spent the last eleven months of his life battling stage 4 renal failure. I was fortunate enough to get to take him for his dialysis appointments two or three times a week. During these visits, my dad would tell me stories about growing up with his older brother. If you never knew the dynamic of love between my father and Uncle John, you would easily recognize how much my father idolized his older brother by listening to him talk about him. Once they were both finally retired, it was wonderful to see them take cruises together and visit places that meant so much to them and helped shape them into the men they would go on to become. I know that eventually, we will all follow Uncle John to the forever side of eternity. My hope and goal when I get to that transition is to be able to say that I lived my life much the same way my uncle did, because if I can hit that mark, I’ll know that God will be proud of me and some part of my Uncle John will have lived on in me. I would like to express my profound gratitude to the memories I have of my Uncle John and to all his family, many of whom have also marked my character in a life-changing manner. You are all loved immensely by so many of us who had the good fortune to know and love your father. In loving memory, Matthew Alan Woods