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302-478-7100 Wilmington & Hockessin, DE

JoAnne Duffy Woodward

JoAnne Duffy Woodward, age 89, passed away on Friday, May 13, 2022 in Hockessin, DE.

JoAnne was the daughter of Daniel Francis and Kathryn Phillips Duffy. She was born in Reading, PA and spent her childhood there. At the age of four, JoAnne lost her mother and was lovingly raised by her father and stepmother, Mary Snyder Duffy. She attended parochial schools and graduated from St. Peter’s Reading Catholic High School and Albright College with a major in Chemistry. JoAnne then graduated from the Drexel Institute with an M.S. in Library Science and moved to Wilmington, Delaware to join the DuPont Company as a research librarian in their Technical Library in 1955.

For most of her career, JoAnne was active in local and national library associations. She held leadership positions in the Special Library Association in Philadelphia and with the American Library Association, serving as President of the Delaware Library Association in the early 1960’s. JoAnne loved all aspects of her profession.

In 1957, she met Richard (Dick) Woodward, a fellow DuPonter, and they were married in 1958. Her career took a backseat to her family until 1984 when she returned to DuPont as a contract librarian and worked for 10 additional years.

JoAnne and Dick were long-time members of the St. Joseph on the Brandywine parish. She was appointed by Msgr. Foltz as one of two women to serve on the first parish council of the laity and also on the Bishop’s Council of the laity. In her capacity as Ecumenical Chairman, she was the first woman to speak from the altar at St. Joseph’s.

While raising her children, JoAnne served as a volunteer for many organizations in New Castle County. She was a spring tour guide at Winterthur for fifteen years and also volunteered at the Wilmington Flower Market, the Christmas Shop, Tatnall School, the Osher Institute at the University of Delaware, and many other great organizations.

In 1981, JoAnne became a member of the Junior Board of the Delaware Division, Wilmington Medical Center. She held several leadership positions within the Junior Board. JoAnne was Co-Chair of the Delaware Antiques Show in 1985 and served as the Junior Board President from 1998-2000. She served as a Trustee of the now Christiana Care Health System for over twenty years. Her experience with Christiana Care was rewarding.

JoAnne and Dick were blessed with two children, Richard Phillips and Jean MacMaster. Their family became a multi-generational one in 1969 when both grandmothers moved into the home. It was a loving experience for all of them, especially for the children. JoAnne loved her family dearly. She is survived by and will be missed dearly by her children, Dick Woodward and his wife, Jean Williams Woodward, of Watkinsville, Georgia and Jean Woodward Maher of Sheffield, Massachusetts, as well as her five grandchildren, Jed and Wyatt Woodward, Sam, Madeleine, and Isabelle Maher, and her cousins, Dr. Thomas Diamond and wife, Marilyn, and Dr. Kathryn Diamond Johnson of Santa Cruz, California. JoAnne stated that she most enjoyed

time with her family, her Church, travel, beaches, pottery, volunteer work, her dear friends and wonderful neighbors, especially the last twenty years spent in Coffee Run.

The family wishes to thank the loving caregivers at Caring Hearts and Brookdale Hockessin, as well as Delaware Hospice. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Cancer Society, Pancreatic Cancer research programs, or to your own favorite charity.

A visitation will be held on Friday, May 20, 2022 from 9:30-10:30 am at St. Joseph on the Brandywine, 10 Old Church Road, Greenville, DE 19807. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 10:30 am at St. Joseph on the Brandywine. Burial will be at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Cemetery.

 

Funeral Services

A visitation will be held on Friday, May 20, 2022 from 9:30-10:30 am at St. Joseph on the Brandywine, 10 Old Church Road, Greenville, DE 19807. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 10:30 am at St. Joseph on the Brandywine. Burial will be at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Cemetery.

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