David (Woody) Philip Woodward passed away on Tuesday, July 18th, 2023, at the age of 75.

Born in Tredegar, Wales, he emigrated to Saskatoon with his parents, Harold and Margaret Woodward, in 1956. Two years later, the family permanently made Regina their home.

Woody began his career in adult education. The following 27 years were mostly spent as an elementary school teacher at Creighton School. He enthusiastically shared his love of Robert Munsch with his grade 3 students. In the staff room, he was called “Horseshoe Woody” for his clever cribbage moves.

Beyond the classroom, he devoted much of his spare time to volunteering and proudly supported the Flin Flon Bombers, the Pilot Butte Storm, and the Regina Thunder. Woody never missed an opportunity to buy 50/50 or raffle tickets in support of sports programs.

A sports lover to the core, with a passion for everything from hockey to football to golf, he knew every story and stat in the book, no matter how obscure. But Woody's love of entertainment extended far beyond sports. He enjoyed concerts and musicals, most often booking a group of tickets to include friends in the experience.

Throughout his life, he surrounded himself with dear friends, sharing bonds that lasted a lifetime. Brian Erb, his friend since 1971, was like a brother to him. Bobbi and Ron Yanko, friends from high school, have remained pillars of support through the years.

He shared 50 years of marriage with Kathleen (Davies), his rock and partner in all life's adventures; Melanie and Paula, his equally determined and social daughters; and his two granddaughters, Xiola (24) and Audrey (3), whom he read countless books to and playfully teased. He was so very proud of his girls.

Woody's departure from this world had been a slow realization, but his determination never wavered. We often joked that he had surpassed 9 lives and was working on his second cat! As we say our goodbyes, we can't help but imagine him reuniting with his Pelican Narrows pals at the tee box with a drink in hand or enjoying a summer evening of fishing on Jan Lake with his Creighton buddies.

Rest easy, dear Woody. May your tenacity inspire us all never to give up.

The funeral will be held at St. Augustine Parish in Wilcox, SK, on Tuesday, July 25th at 2 pm led by Father Parker Love. A light luncheon will follow.

In lieu of flowers, and in honour of Woody’s love of sport, we ask that you donate to Kids Sport @ https://kidsportcanada.ca/saskatchewan/ to help cover the costs of enrollment so that all kids aged 5-18 years can play a season of sport.

The family would especially like to thank Dr. Jodi Spelay and her vascular team for the 20 years of incredible care and friendship; Dr. Meena Pole for her unfailing attention to David’s general health, and the doctors and nurses in emergency and the SICU at the Regina General Hospital for their exceptional care.