BANGOR – Viola Lulene (Blake) Woodward, 94, wife of the late Gordon A. Woodward, died Dec. 12, 2003, at Westgate Manor where she had been a resident for the past 12 years. She was born in Winslow, May 19, 1909, the only child of Cecil and Lulene (Goodhue) Blake. Viola lived in a number of places, but primarily her home was in Hampden. She was a graduate of Winslow High School and Coburn School of Music, which she attended while in high school. She attended Colby College and Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, Va., graduating in 1930. In 1928, she won the state piano contest of the Virginia Federated Music Clubs and went on to compete in the district contest in Baltimore. After graduation she taught French and Latin at Crosby High School in Belfast, Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln and Winslow High School in Winslow. In all of these schools she also directed the dramatic activities as well as participated in community theater productions. Following her marriage in 1945 to Gordon, they moved to the Bangor/Hampden area where she continued teaching French at Bangor High School until the time of her retirement in 1965. During her retirement years she participated in several community and Kiwanis related activities. They made their summers at Green Lake and for a short time lived in the Portland and Ellsworth areas. After Gordon’s death in 1982, she became a resident at Phillips Strickland House, Bangor and was one of the first residents of the Alzheimer’s Center in Gardiner where she lived for 31/2 years. At each of these facilities she contributed to their programs with her music talent on the piano. Since 1991 she has been lovingly cared for by the staff at Westgate Manor. She was a member of the Sigma Kappa Sorority and the Maine Teacher’s Association. She was also a member of All Souls Congregational Church, Bangor and Woodford’s Congregational Church, Portland. Viola enjoyed music, traveling, knitting and playing the piano at many social gatherings with friends and family. She is survived by her only child, Kay W. Blanchard of Bangor; three grandchildren, LeeMargaret Jack and husband, Ronald, of Bangor, Jill Kathryn Sommer and husband, Matthew, of New York City; Albert Chick Blanchard Jr. and wife, Amy, of Orrington; three great-grandchildren, Ryan Fran-cis and Molly Elizabeth Jack of Bangor and Abbigail Summer Blanchard of Orrington. A memorial service will be held 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, 2004, at All Souls Congregational Church with the Rev. Dr. James L. Haddix, pastor and teacher, officiating. Memorial gifts in her name may be made to the Memorial Fund, All Souls Congregational Church, 10 Broadway, Bangor, ME 04401. A service of Brookings-Smith, 133 Center St., Bangor.
VIOLA LULENE WOODWARD
