A memorial service to celebrate the life of Mary Lou Woodruff is set for 1 p.m. on August 28, at Saugatuck Congregation Church.
The date is significant. The longtime Westport resident, noted teacher and active civic volunteer would have turned 100 years old that day.
She died in December, at her Harvest Commons home, from COVID.
Shortly before she died, Mary Lou said, “I’m 99 years old. I have lived a wonderful and rich life. I can say honestly I have no regrets.”
A resident of Westport for nearly 60 years, she was born and grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
During World War II she served in the Coast Guard in New London. She fell in love with the Connecticut coast.
After graduating from the University of Michigan, Mary Lou worked in a children’s psychiatric unit. The experience launched her life of working with and teaching young people.
Mary Lou Woodruff
She married Phil Woodruff in 1948. They raised four sons — Phillip Jr., John, Timothy and James — in Michigan, New Mexico, California, Arizona and Washington, DC (where Phil worked on a pilot project for the Kennedy administration that gave rise to the Job Corps and VISTA), before settling in Westport in 1964 when Phil was hired as an administrator in the Westport Public Schools.
While Phil worked as the system-wide coordinator for social studies, Mary Lou taught nursery school at the First Congregational Church. She then taught third grade at Burr Farms and Coleytown Elementary Schools.
Mary Lou was committed to experiential learning. She turned her classrooms into centers of discovery and creativity. She replaced rows of desks with a reading loft, and spaces for students to learn and experience science, art, music, literature and social studies.
With special dispensation from the state, her classroom included tidal pool tanks with fish and crustaceans, including a baby lobster.
Mary Lou retired from teaching in 1989 to care for Phillip Jr., when he was diagnosed with brain cancer. She continued to work in education, serving as a mentor-teacher for elementary teachers in Westport.
A woman of multiple passions and interests, Mary Lou loved teaching, travel, music, art, entertaining, and spirited conversations.
She played guitar during classes, and later sang with a group at nursing homes and other venues.
She traveled extensively with her husband and family, across the United States (to every state except Alaska), and the world.
A life-long progressive Democrat, she participated in local, state and national politics.
She knitted and quilted items for family, and the children of friends. Mary Lou spent her last years with her Harvest Commons neighbors, knitting hundreds of hats for children in need of warm clothing.
She loved to read fiction and non-fiction, and she began each day with the New York Times.
Mary Lou was predeceased by her husband of 60 years, Phillip, Sr., son Phillip Jr., brother John, and sisters Marilyn and Nancy. She is survived by her sons John (Ann Dobmeyer), Timothy, and James (Kim Woodruff), sister Judith Ohlgren, and four grandchildren, Emily, Isaac, Hannah, and Blayden.
I knew Dr. and Mrs. Woodruff and went through school with their son John. To say Mrs. Woodruff had a life well lived is an understatement. A wonderful woman and matriarch of a wonderful family.
Mary Lou Woodruff’s long and prolific life is more proof that there’s something extraordinary about living in Westport that assures that such humans live long and prosper. As anyone residing there will tell you, Harvest Common’s is the center of the phenomena.
Perhaps the Rippe family planted magic beans in the soil.
She was a great lady.
Mrs Woodruff was my elementary school teacher at Coleytown in the 70s. I remember her room was filled with fun and set it up to make it a welcoming space. We definitely checked out snails from those tanks, read comfortably, learned to love her and school. She and Barge Levy were the teachers that inspired me as an elementary school teacher. My love goes out to her family. Your amazing mom made such a difference.