John Stafford describes his aunt and uncle, Maryanna and Bill Woody, as two of the great gifts of his life.
Maryanna was gracious and stylish, “the epitome of the Southern lady,” John recalls. Bill was a soft-spoken Virginia gentleman. Both were deeply woven into the Winchester community.
Maryanna was involved with many organizations and even chaired the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival one year. She participated in her garden club and welcomed people into their home for memorable gatherings. Her eye for beauty and detail could be seen in everything from the gardens she cultivated to the flowers, seating and room details she thoughtfully arranged for family celebrations. Bill was an executive at Shockey Precast Group and an avid golfer, and both were members of Winchester Country Club.
They cared for others quietly, through hospitality, friendship and a genuine interest in the people around them. Family celebrations often revolved around the couple. As John remembers it, Thanksgiving never truly began until Maryanna and Bill arrived.
Because they did not have children, Maryanna and Bill became like surrogate parents to John’s daughters. John’s sister, Susan Stafford Dilgard, and her children, also dearly loved the couple and treasured the time they shared with them. Maryanna and Bill celebrated the family’s milestones and remained a steadfast, loving presence across generations.
“I was so fortunate. I had two amazing parents, and my aunt and uncle.”
Maryanna (Stafford) Woody and Bill Woody shared an especially close bond with their nephew, John Stafford, and his family.
Maryanna (right) in the late 1950s, during her modeling and hostess era at The Homestead.
A Memory That Remains
Hospice first entered the family’s life through Maryanna and Bill’s close friend and neighbor, Helen Zebarth, who introduced them to Blue Ridge Hospice during Maryanna’s illness. Maryanna later received hospice care near the end of her life.
After Maryanna died, John saw how deeply Bill missed her and the life they had shared. They had traveled together, played golf, entertained friends in their home and built their lives around family and community.
Several years later, as Bill’s own health declined, he also came into Blue Ridge Care’s care.
When Bill later came to the Inpatient Unit, John witnessed a moment he will never forget. Bill ate for the first time in a while, looked at John and smiled.
“I’m just down the hall from where Maryanna was,” he said.
It was the last time John saw his uncle consciously smile. For John, Bill’s words reflected the enduring bond between them and the significance of receiving care in the same place Maryanna had been.
As John sat quietly beside him, a member of our care team gently reminded him that Bill could still hear. John began talking, sharing memories of the life and family they had known together. That thoughtful guidance reflected the care and attention John witnessed throughout Maryanna and Bill’s hospice experiences.
“I’m just down the hall from where Maryanna was.”
Love Transformed Into Service
John Stafford recently attended the dedication of a memorial woodland garden honoring his aunt, Maryanna Stafford Woody, and her husband, Bill Woody, at Winchester Country Club.
“It all goes back to seeing other people in need and asking, ‘How can you help?’”
The extraordinary care Maryanna and Bill received stayed with John. It also propelled him into hospice service.
For the past dozen years, John has served meals at his local hospice. He now serves on its board and crisis committee and has helped guide the organization through a recent transition.
For John, that service carries forward both what hospice gave his family and the example Maryanna and Bill set throughout their lives.
Their love shaped him. Their care moved him. And their memory continues through his commitment to helping other families experience compassion and dignity through life’s final moments.
