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Robert ‘Bob’ James Woods Jr., retired chief judge

November 2, 2017

Robert "Bob" James Woods Jr., 84, entered into eternal rest Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017.

Bob was the beloved husband of Charlotte Woods for 60 years, devoted father of Cynthia Manley and Robert Damien Woods, and doting grandfather of Jake, Alex, Kyle, Mary and Zachary Manley, and Peter and Paula Woods, and great-grandson, Thomas Flynn Kelly Manley.

Bob was born in Washington, D.C., Feb. 16, 1933, the son of Robert James Woods Sr. and Mary A. Woods. A lifelong devoted Catholic, he attended Gonzaga High School, Georgetown University (1956) and Catholic University Law School where he earned his J.D. (1962). He also attended the National Judicial College at the University of Nevada.

His grandfather, Homer B. Woods, was a Supreme Court Justice for the State of West Virginia. Bob followed the family tradition and became chief judge of the 7th Judicial Court of Maryland (Calvert, Charles, Prince George's, and St. Mary's counties), where he presided from 1995 until his retirement in 2003. He also served as associate judge of the Prince George's County Circuit Court (1976-2003) and the District Court of Maryland, District 5, Prince George's County (1971-76) as well as assistant state's attorney for Prince George's County (1966-69). He served as attorney to the Prince George's County Election Board in the early ‘60s. For a number of years, he was professor of paralegal studies at Prince George's Community College. He was a member of the Maryland State and Prince George's County Bar Associations.

When he was 14, Bob contacted polio, but this never stopped him in the pursuit of things he loved to do, and he always excelled at whatever he put his mind to: Gourmet cooking, especially French and Chinese, sailing, gardening, knitting, traveling, reading - especially Charles Dickens, and managing the much-loved beach condo.

Visitation will be from 2 to 6 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 4, at Beall Funeral Home, 6512 Crain Highway, Bowie, Md. Rosary will be said at 6 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, Nov. 6, at St. James The Greater Catholic Church, 49 Crosswinds Drive, Charles Town, W.Va.. All are welcome to a reception at the church social hall following the interment at Edge Hill Cemetery 427 E. Congress St., Charles Town.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Justin W. Jennings Foundation, Justin’s Beach House, a cancer respite home in Bethany Beach, www.justinjennings.org, or St. Jude the Apostle Church, 152 Tulip Drive, Lewes DE 19958, www.stjudelewes.org.

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