PC mourns loss of former trustee and alumni director, Butch Woodward ’60

Presbyterian College lost one of its most faithful Blue Hose this month with the passing of former alumni director and member of the college board of trustees, James Earle “Butch” Woodward ’60 in Highlands Plateau, N.C.

Woodward passed away suddenly on July 16 at the age of 84. He is survived by his wife, Brenda, of 64 years; his sons, Rob and Russell; and grandchildren, Athena, Emma, James, Nathaniel, and Taylor.

Raised in the textile village in Graniteville, Woodward worked in the local mills for three summers to earn tuition at PC. After he graduated in 1960, he taught high school history for a year before joining the sales force at General Mills. In 1971, while the family lived in Dallas, Tex., Woodward joined Merrill Lynch as a stockbroker trainee.

For the next 25 years, Woodward managed Merrill Lynch offices in Charleston, Scottsdale, Ariz., San Diego, Calif., Bucks County, Penn., and Baltimore, Md., before joining the staff of his beloved alma mater as director of alumni affairs. He retired a second time in 1997 and later joined PC’s board of trustees in 2000.

A talented woodworker, Woodward used his experience working for a cabinet maker to make and donate numerous pieces for church fundraisers and other local charities. He also volunteered regularly on construction projects with his church and Habitat for Humanity in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, West Virginia, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

Throughout his life, Woodward lived by the motto of PC – “Dum Vivimus Servimus.” In 2003, the college recognized that devotion by presenting him with the Mary F. Lehman Alumni Service Award for his work in alumni affairs.