Orlando Woods

SUNRISE 09-21-1956 SUNSET 04-16-2022

ORLANDO
DALE
WOODS

Memorial
April 30, 2022
1:00pm – 6:00pm

Exquisite Events

9001 S. HALSTED STREET
CHICAGO, IL 60652

RCEHVEAORRFLEFENISDCDIBAORNCOKTTEHREYR

Psalm 73:26

“My flesh and my heart faileth:
but God is the strength of my
heart, and my portion forever.”

Order of Service MASONIC CEREMONY

ORLANDO DALE WOODS PRAYER AND SCRIPTURE
OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT
REVEREND BROTHER CHARLES DOCKERY

MUSICAL SELECTION
JATON MCCREE

“OPEN MY HEART”

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
RESOLUTIONS AND FAMILY THANK YOU

STEPHEN PAMON JR.

FAMILY TRIBUTES

MUSICAL SELECTION
JATON MCCREE

“I CAN ONLY IMAGINE “

VIDEO PRESENTATION

FRIENDS/ORGANIZATION TRIBUTES

LIFE REFLECTIONS (OBITUARY)
TEENA WILSON

CLASSMATES AND CO-WORKER TRIBUTES

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
FATHER MAURICE NUTT
C.SS.R., D.MIN

MUSICAL SELECTION
JATON MCCREE

“ONLY FOR A WHILE”

CLOSING
REVEREND BROTHER CHARLES DOCKERY

“OPEN OUR EYES”
AUDIENCE

My dearest Orlando,

I would gladly give anything to hear your voice,
feel your touch, and see you smile again.

But that time has passed. I never dreamed that
this day would come so soon. My mind knows
that God doesn’t make mistakes, but my heart
says different. I pray every day for strength to
accept God’s will. I thank God for the many
years that we had together and for the fond
memories that will remain forever in my heart.
Until we meet again, rest in paradise my love.

Your loving wife,
Linda

Dear Daddy,

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree, the warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea, the generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night, the wisdom of the ages,

The power of the eagle’s flight.
Then God combined these qualities.
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete.

And so, He called it….”Dad”
Daddy, thank you for always picking me up when I was down,

and cheering me on when I was up. Your efforts never went
unnoticed. You worked hard, so take your rest now.
I love you
so much!

Your only

MayaBaby Girl

LIFE REFLECTIONS

ODW SEPTEMBER 21, 1956, THE RENOWNED BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP DYNASTY
OF HATTIE COOK-JOHN A. WOODS ADDED A NEW POTENTIAL CHAMPION

ORLANDO D. WOODS

(LATER KNOWN AS “LAD” AND/OR “O”) TO THEIR GROWING STABLE.

HE JOINED MAURICE, DONCELLA, JOHN JR. AND OPHELIA AT THEIR TRAINING
CAMP. HATTIE AND JOHN LATER ADDED TWO MORE FIGHTERS TO THEIR TEAM,

DERRICK AND CARL. SATISFIED WITH THEIR TEAM,
HATTIE AND JOHN LIVED AND TRAINED THEIR FUTURE CHAMPIONS WITH THEIR

MOTTO; “STAND IN CLOSE AND KEEP PUNCHING,
THE FIGHT AIN’T OVER TIL I WIN.”

EDUCATION WAS A PRIORITY. YOU HAD TO REALIZE WHO YOUR

OPPONENT WAS AND HOW TO APPROACH ANY CHALLENGE WITH THE

OBJECTIVE TO WIN. ORLANDO WAS QUICKLY IDENTIFIED AS INTELLIGENT,
CURIOUS, AND HARDWORKING. HE BEGAN HIS EDUCATION AT HOME

SURROUNDED AND RAISED BY A VILLAGE OF RELATIVES ON THE COOK AND
WOODS LINEAGE. HE WAS EDUCATED AT

GRESHAM ELEMENTARY, LINDBLOM TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL AND
NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY.

ORLANDO ADAPTED TO SITUATIONS AND CHALLENGES.
HE DEMONSTRATED THIS THROUGHOUT HIS FIGHTS AS AN
UP-AND-COMING CHAMPION. HE WAS THE EPITOME OF CLASS AND STREET.
HE WAS 100% REAL. HE ADAPTED TO THE CHALLENGES PRESENTED.
HE ENJOYED LIFE. HE PREPARED AND THEN EXECUTED HIS PLAN OF LIFE

ACTIONS. HE LOVED A GOOD DRINK AND A PARTY.
HE LOVED HIS RUM AND PEPSI. HE WAS A CLASS ACT TEACHER, MENTOR,

COACH, AND DEAN OF STUDENTS AT CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS. HE
BEGAN HIS CAREER AT BARTON ELEMENTARY, FOLLOWED BY GREGORY
ELEMENTARY, STAGG ELEMENTARY, DULLES ELEMENTARY, AND LASTLY

PARK MANOR ELEMENTARY. HE BELIEVED IN HELPING OTHERS.
THROUGH THE YEARS HE GATHERED LIFELONG FRIENDS, MENTORED
STUDENTS AND NEIGHBORS, COACHED SOFTBALL AND BASKETBALL AND
ADOPTED SIBLINGS WHO REMAINED A PART OF HIS EVERYDAY LIFE.

LAD REALIZED THAT THE COOK-WOODS FIGHT TEAM HAD TAKEN HIM AS FAR AS HE COULD GO.
THE FOUNDATION BEING FIRMLY SET, LAD KNEW THAT SOMETIMES YOU MUST SHAKE UP THINGS

FROM THE TOP. IT WAS TIME TO EXPAND HIS FIGHT TRAINING TEAM. AFTER THOUGHT AND
DELIBERATION HE MARRIED LINDA JOHNSON IN 1982. WITH THIS MARRIAGE, LINDA TOOK ON THE
ROLE AS HIS WIFE, MAJOR TRAINER, COACH, AND SUPPORTER. HE OFTEN SAID THIS WAS THE BEST

DECISION THAT HE COULD HAVE MADE. SHE ADDED THE FINAL PIECE NEEDED TO ASSIST HIM TO
BECOME THE CHAMPION HE HAD TRAINED TO BE. HE GAINED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT THROUGH THE

BIRTH OF HIS ONLY CHILD AND THE LIGHT OF HIS WORLD, MAYA, IN DECEMBER 1995.

THE BIRTH OF MAYA SIGNALED THE END OF ONE CHAPTER IN HIS LIFE
AND THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ONE.

HE BECAME A MASTER MASON AND A MEMBER
OF MODERN FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF

THE WORLD, INC.
IN 2002 AND SERVED AS THE WORSHIPFUL
MASTER OF ALJAY WILLIAMS LODGE #764.
HE ALSO SERVED AS THE CURRENT GRAND
TREASURER OF KING SOLOMON GRAND LODGE.

IN MARCH 2021, ORLANDO SIGNED ON FOR HIS FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP
FIGHT. HE FACED THE MOST FORMIDABLE CHALLENGER OF HIS LIFE.
HOWEVER, CANCER DID NOT KNOW ORLANDO” LAD” WOODS. LAD USED

ALL OF HIS PRIOR TRAINING AND KNOWLEDGE TO WIN THIS MAJOR

FIGHT. HE EDUCATED HIMSELF ABOUT HIS OPPONENT AND PREVIOUS
FIGHTS WITH OTHER OPPONENTS, NEXT, HE ORGANIZED HIS TRAINING

TEAM LED BY LINDA. HE THOUGHT ABOUT HIS TEAM, MADE HIS
DECISION, AND ANNOUNCED HIS TEAM. HONORED TO BE A PART OF TEAM
WOODS, TEAM CO-CAPTAINS DONCELLA PAMON AND TYRONE ASKINS

LED THE CHARGE. MAYA BECAME HIS BIGGEST CHEERLEADER, ALONG
WITH HIS SIBLINGS. HE FOUGHT HARD. HE WAS KNOCKED DOWN. THE
REFEREES COUNTED TO EIGHT ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. LAD KNEW

THE FIGHT WAS NOT OVER UNTIL HE WON, SO HE KEPT FIGHTING.

ON SATURDAY, APRIL 16TH AT 6:33 AM, THE FINAL BELL RANG.
BY DECISION, ORLANDO WAS DECLARED THE WINNER.
HE WON; THE FIGHT WAS OVER.

CHEERING HIM FROM HEAVEN WERE HIS FIRST TRAINERS HATTIE AND
JOHN WOODS, HIS BROTHER MAURICE, GRANDPARENTS, AUNTS, UNCLES,

COUSINS, AND CLOSE FRIENDS.

CHEERING IN HIS CORNER WERE HIS WIFE LINDA, DAUGHTER MAYA,
SIBLINGS: DONCELLA, JOHN JR. (INITA), OPHELIA (BILLY),
DERRICK AND CARL (CHERYL).

ONE SPECIAL BROTHER BY ANOTHER MOTHER TYRONE ASKINS; NIECES,
NEPHEWS, HIS SON/ BROTHER/ NEPHEW/ STEPHEN (HELENE), AUNTS,
UNCLES, JOHNSON FAMILY (ESPECIALLY TEAM WOODS MEMBER ROY)

BROTHER-COUSINS (TRENTON, DREWNARD, STEVE, PETE) HIS MASONIC
BROTHERS ESPECIALLY REVEREND BROTHER CHARLES DOCKERY WHO

OFFERED HIM WEEKLY WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT,
“FOOD FOR THE SOUL”, AND SO MANY OTHERS.

ORLANDO, YOU FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, YOU WON!

I have fought a good fight,

Kept the FaithI have finishedmy course,I have
2 TIMOTHY 4:7



5354 S. PRINCETON, 8019 S. GREEN, THE GARAGE, THE BASEMENT, THE BACKYARD, IF YOU KNOW THE
WOODS, YOU KNOW THESE PLACES. EVERY THURSDAY, THEN MOST SUNDAYS AND AT SOME POINT, EVERY

DAY. THE WOODS SIBLINGS WERE TOGETHER. DONCELLA, ORLANDO, DERRICK, AND CARL AND
SOMETIMES JOHN JR. HOW MANY SIBLINGS CAN SAY THAT? FOR MANY YEARS PAW PAW LED THE
CHARGE. HIS DEATH IN 2017 DID NOT STOP US. IT WAS OUR REFUGE. IT WAS WHERE WE CONNECTED AND
RENEWED OUR SPIRITS. WE LAUGHED, WE CRIED, AND WE LOVED EACH OTHER. WE LIKED EACH OTHER.
OUR SIBLING CHAIN HAS ONCE AGAIN HAS BEEN BROKEN. LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. OUR
PROTECTOR, OUR BROTHER IS PHYSICALLY GONE. WE ARE GOING TO MISS YOU. WE FEEL HONORED TO
HAVE SHARED YOUR LAST JOURNEY. WE WERE THERE ALWAYS SHOWING YOU LOVE AND KNOWING YOU
LOVED US. WE WILL STILL BE THERE FOR EACH OTHER DOING WHAT THE WOODS FAMILY DOES.

WE’VE GOT LINDA AND MAYA, NO DOUBT. ALL LOVE. IT IS OK!

Doncella, John Jr., Derrick, and Carl

, “Hey, how you feel?”
That was how you always started our conversations.
I write this not as goodbye, but as a It was not about how you are doing; it was always
congratulations. Congratulations on a life about feelings. Well brother, I feel pretty empty knowing
that I will not hear your voice again in this lifetime.
that defined for me what living truly is. But, Praise God, I look forward to the day when we meet
You are my uncle by blood, but my father,
brother, and friend by action. It was you again, and I can quote Daddy and say
that showed me the small things like how “I feel better than the doctor.”
to dress, how to shine my shoes, and even
how to wash a car. More importantly, you Always in my heart,
took the time to show me, and everyone
in your orbit, the big things in life about Your Sister, Ophelia
manhood, friendship, loyalty, generosity,
Orlando,
diligence, financial literacy, and love.
Selfishly, I miss you so much. But I also I was working this evening, and in this time of deep
unexpected sorrow, a tremendous thought of solace crossed
know you never left our side.
Congratulations Orlando! my spirit. How blessed are we that you loved and thought
You are a hero and legend. enough of us that you allowed us to join you through your
The alley and the garage journey and battle for life through our special text thread. We
will never be the same. gave you strength, support, prayer, love, songs, and most of
all, a significant family presence of inspiration. You were
Love you Lad, gifting us with the same and a road map for continued Love

and Service of Family. Thank you for allowing me to
participate in your final ride.

Love you forever, Your Little Brother Cuz,

Trenton Anderson

ORLANDO D. WOODS

would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to everyone for the kindness, love, prayers, and

support that we have received during our time of bereavement.

We extend a special thank you to Our Family, extended Family and the many Friends that
were a part of this journey. We couldn’t have done it without you.

In addition, we would like to thank

King Solomon Grand Lodge, AlJay Williams Lodge #764, Electa Chapter #588,

Bathsheba Grand Chapter, Sister DeBey Rainey, and our entire Masonic Family.

Words cannot express our appreciation for the support that has been given to our Family.

Sincerely, May God bless you all. The

The Woods Family 23rd

PSALM

THE LORD

IS MY SHEPHERD; I SHALL NOT WANT. HE MAKETH ME TO LIE DOWN
IN GREEN PASTURES: HE LEADETH ME BESIDE THE STILL WATERS.
HE RESTORETH MY SOUL: HE LEADETH ME IN THE PATHS OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE. YEA, THOUGH I WALK
THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH,

I WILL FEAR NO EVIL: FOR THOU ART
WITH ME;

SERVICES ENTRUSTED TO THY ROD AND
THY STAFF THEY
Leak and Sons
COMFORT ME. THOU
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ENEMIES: THOU

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MY HEAD WITH OIL;
MY CUP RUNNETH OVER.

SURELY

(312) 800 GOODNESS AND MERCY
Diva 3482
SHALL FOLLOW ME ALL

THE DAYS OF MY LIFE:
AND I WILL DWELL IN THE

HOUSE OF THE

LORD FOR EVER.