Here are reactions from various leaders about the life of Wilfred Woods
Walking, whistling
“Whistle while you work or play is part of Wilfred Woods. He was the driving force to create Art on the Avenues. He said ‘Go for it, Queenie.” The first exhibit was presented in 1995. With his encouragement 13 years ago, “Beauty of Bronze” for 5th grade students started. Wilf saw the need to create education and artistic pleasure for our community. He walked the streets and trails whistling and visiting with young and old friends. He was Wenatchee’s treasure in countless ways.”
— Adele Wolford, co-founder of Art on the Avenues
Temper of the times
“Wilf, through his interest in history, principally through the newspaper but in other forms as well, such as his support of local and state historical societies, kept that mid-20th century legacy very much alive. Indeed, I think it is fair to say that the preservation of the paper itself, and its innovations during the emergence of the internet age, is an accomplishment in itself. Wilf’s columns will be referred to for decades into the future by historians looking to gauge the temper of the times during which he lived.”
— Dave Nicandri, director, Washington State Historical Society, 1987-2011
Life-long learning
“I will remember Wilfred Woods walking to the Wenatchee World most mornings. He would walk by my CPA office on the way to work. He always walked with a bounce in his step, like he was excited for the day. And knowing Wilfred, I knew he was excited for the day. He was always ready to learn something new. And any day that you got the chance to talk with him, you could learn something about our past. He was a walking history book of the region and the details he could remember were amazing. I will always remember his walk, his smile, and his interest in life-long learning.”
— Frank Kuntz, Wenatchee mayor
Special twinkle
“I believe the greatest impact Wilf has played in my life though was during the construction phase of Pybus Market. The project happened to be on his daily walking route and he would always stop in to check on the progress. He would happily don a hard hat and safety vest, walk through the obstacles and examine the latest work. Many times he reported on the project in his column, and we appreciated his good words. When completed, we celebrated Wilf’s 95th birthday in the concourse of Pybus Market, replete with the Golden Apple Marching Band. He had a special twinkle in his eye, as dignitary after dignitary paid homage to this wonderful man. What a birthday party that was! Wilf Woods will always occupy a special place in my heart!”
— Mike Walker, businessman and co-benefactor of Pybus Public Market
Birthday surprise
“At his 70 birthday, a group of us girls met him at Siraco’s for lunch. He was a bit concerned as to when Kathy (Wilf’s wife) would show up and he inquired to the owner, Lula Valissarakos. She smiled and said, ‘Kathy will be in later to pay for lunch. These girls are your present.’ As he left and walked back to work, his arms laden with gifts and balloons, he whistled ‘Happy Birthday.’ A vivid and happy memory today.”
— JoAnn Walker, co-benefactor of Pybus Public Market
Affectionate hand
“To put it simply, there would be no PAC without Wilfred Woods. His vision, commitment, tenacity, and devotion to this town are what sustained the theater during its stormy beginning. Now, during its rejuvenation, he remained a continual source of inspiration and wisdom for me and I gratefully reached for the strong and affectionate hand he offered me, confidently helping to guide our ‘precious little theater’ into the future he sacrificed so much to ensure.”
— Matt Cadman, executive director, Numerica Performing Arts Center (PAC)
Devotion to the arts
“There were several essential “Ones” to the building of the performing arts center in the late 1990s, and Wilf was absolutely essential! Wilf’s unblemished reputation and long-time devotion to the arts made him the perfect “poster boy” for the PAC. He knew the history of past efforts and knew people with sufficient interest and means to contact for initial donations. He had such a great good time doing it! Being with him, working on the PAC, was a joyous treat!”
— Jane Hensel, civic leader and supporter of the arts
Community spirit
“How has Wilfred Woods BEST contributed to Wenatchee and North Central Washington? That’s an easy question! The answer is, he married a Chelan girl, Kathy Kingman — a friend of my mom’s and aunt’s during Chelan school years. That made me think of the late Dr. Bill Stewart’s wife, Ladean, who told me that ‘Behind every successful man is an exhausted woman!’
Wilfred’s ‘love of learning’ and his consistency in sharing his knowledge in Wenatchee World articles, as well as personal conversations, has been a huge contribution to all of us. He is a voracious reader and his ability to remember history is absolutely remarkable. He is an encyclopedia of local history.
Wilf has a huge heart and a terrific community spirit which he and Kathy show by supporting the PAC, the Wenatchee Valley College, the Riverfront Parks, etc. Wilfred Woods, a true asset not only to our North Central Washington communities, but to the State of Washington.”
— Former State Sen. Linda Evans Parlette
Presenter of possibilities
“Wilfred’s heart is classical music. He brags about being the only one in the family who doesn’t play anything, but he attended every classical music festival we put on here. Our friendship was based on his love of music and mine, too. When we first bought the property that became Sleeping Lady, he came over with musicians he’d heard at the Bach Festival. We had a chapel. The priest had moved out all the religious articles. Wilfred introduced us to the possibilities. The chapel became a theater, the Icicle Creek Music Center. He wanted classical music to be available to everybody, and it’s that legacy I try to carry on today.”
— Harriet Bullitt, developer, owner and CEO, Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat
Paper boys
“I knew Mr. Woods by my kids. When we came over here in 1944, my sons were paper boys. They delivered the paper all around the valley. I had nine boys, and all nine boys were paper boys! Mr. Woods took them in. He was really good to them.”
— Lucy Montoya, recipient of Wenatchee’s 2015 Civil Rights & Social Justice Award.
Fellow adventurer
“I did a lot of mission work, and Wilf would join me. We’d been to India, China, The Philippines, South Africa. He was just so accommodating and friendly, just fun to be around. I went on an orthopedic surgery mission in Bhutan in 1996, and Wilf came over to join me. The altitude was 7,000 feet at the capital city. I was concerned about his breathing and stamina, so I borrowed a Vespa (scooter). On the way up a steep hill, the thing stalled and the front tire rose up and Wilf fell off the back! He just laughed, climbed back on and off we went.”
— Dr. Fred Deal, retired Wenatchee surgeon
His whistle, his laugh
“Wilf was wonderful about keeping up with people. I remember his whistle, his laugh and his sense of humor. He was one of the threads that weaves through the lives of so many people, and he’s the consistent color in the quilt of many people’s lives. Wilfred and my father shared a sense of interest in everything and everybody.”
— Ann Deal, family friend
Erratic enthusiasm
“Wilf has been a member of the Erratics for many years and always paid his dues several years in advance; at one point, I think he was paid up for five years. Anyway, Wilf always attended the speaker meetings that the Erratics had every other month. What amazed me and some of the other long-term members was that Wilf would sit through the talks and not take a single note. Sometimes he did ask a question or two at the end of the talk. Then several days later he would write a short article summarizing the topic that appeared in the Wenatchee World with impeccable accuracy. What a memory. We have missed his articles!”
— Brent Cunderla, president of “The Erratics,” local chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute
Coulee tour
“Up until this last year, Wilf usually brought a van full of people out to see the view from our house (a large gravel bar formed by the Ice Age Floods flowing down the Columbia River valley) at least once a year. He would then work his way up to Grand Coulee, and finally end up in Wenatchee. These tours started out being offered to new Wenatchee World employees; however, they became so popular that eventually good friends were also included. It was always wonderful to see Wilf having so much fun, as he regaled everyone with his ‘flood stories.’”
— Ken Lacy, founding member of The Erratics
What he represented
“In many ways, he became a role model for me, and as I learned more and more about how a smaller newspaper should operate and connect with its community, he was sort of my icon. I was always amazed at the way he and that newspaper engaged with the community and gave it a sense of identity. … I think what he represented was the absolute best of family and local ownership, and bringing journalism and public service to his community, and doing that in a gracious manner.”
— Frank Blethen, publisher and chief executive officer, The Seattle Times
The way he carried himself
“He wasn’t the kind person that preached to you. He led by the way he carried himself and did his work. … We talked a lot, when we would get together, about how newspapers could, when we were banded together in this association, try to improve the abilities of the citizens to know what their government was up to — and that it was our job to stand in the shoes of our readers, to hold government accountable.”
— Rowland Thompson, executive director, Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington
Enthusiasm and commitment
“I don’t think I ever encountered a person who was as deeply involved in community as Wilfred was, and who made the difference that he did — whether in respect to the arts or in respect to parks or the community in general. He just carried that with him. It would have been easy, after all the years he did this, to say, well you know, I’ve done my duty, somebody else can do it now. But I never saw that attitude out of him. He continued to have that enthusiasm and commitment about everything he did.”
— Sam Reed, Washington Secretary of State 2001-2013
