Mary Lou Woodward

Mary Lou was born on November 5, 1944, in Fort Scott, Kansas, the daughter of Emmett Woodward and Edith Jobe Woodward. 

 

She attended Topeka High School and later Colorado State University, where she studied social work. Mary Lou’s deep compassion for others shaped both her professional path and the way she cared for her family, friends, and community.

 

Mary Lou touched the lives of countless children and families through her innate ability to spot where help was needed and her unwavering willingness to give it. As a foster parent, she opened her home and her heart, providing safety, nourishment, and unconditional love to many children, loving each with her whole heart. She created a community that welcomed and encouraged friends and loved ones to become family—a legacy that lives on in those who carry her spirit with them. Mary Lou found beauty in every aspect of life, and took every opportunity to appreciate the small things. She radiated kindness, and with that, left a lasting impression on everyone she met. 

 

She was preceded in death by her cherished brothers, Samuel Lee Woodward and Kenneth “Woody” Woodward, her sister Mary Jane Woodward, and chosen daughter Melinda Cafferty. 

 

She is survived by countless members of the caring community she created and each soul she so lovingly poured into, including her children Alison Woodward and Kimber Crow, Kevin Milliken, chosen daughters Heather (Malinka) Knight, Arlisha (Clark) Beasley, several grandchildren, great grand children, as well as many friends, family, and extended family members. 

 

As a final act of service, and in true fashion, Mary Lou requested that her body be donated to KU Medical School to contribute to the advancement of research in the treatment and prevention of dementia. A memorial service will be planned at a later date.