WOODROW BRUCE FADDIS's Obituary
Woodrow “Woody” B. Faddis On the morning of Tuesday, January 14, Woodrow B.Faddis, aged 83 years young, quietly passed away at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Oakland, California. Mr. Faddis, affectionately known as “Woody”, had survived, with the help of devoted doctors and staff at Kaiser and the care of his wife, Mildred (“Millie”) Marie Faddis, substantial health challenges for over two decades. His wife, family members and friends were with him in the days before his death; the night before his passing. Woody not only completed two crossword puzzles and the word jumble (without looking at any of them!), but also one of his favorite meals, and regaled his wife, family members, and nursing staff with his favorite songs and jokes. Born in September 1919 in Choctaw, Alabama to Woddy B. Faddis (Sr.) and Carrie Vernetta Chaney Faddis, Woody grew up in a segregated South, yet was determined to succeed and to ensure that education and professional opportunities could be available to all. Woody graduated from Alabama State College with a B.A. in History and traveled throughout the South and Eastern United States. In 1943, Woody moved to Oakland, California, where he met Millie. Together, Woody and Millie shared 56 years of marriage and raised three children, all loved with great pride Dora Sinesca Faddis Jackson (married to Otis L. Jackson; Henderson, Nevada), Yvonne Marie Faddis Stroud (married to Joseph A. Stroud; Oakbrook, Illinois), and the trumpeter and professor, Jon Faddis (married to Laurelyn E. Douglas; Teaneck, New Jersey). Woody is survived by his wife, children, seven grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, his brother William “Skip” Harvey Faddis, his eldest sister Mary McCain, and many cousins, nieces and nephews, who are in turn sustained by their memories of him. In California, Woody worked during World War II in the Moore Shipyards, E.B.M.U.D., and Woody became deeply involved in issues of civil rights and justice. After WWII, Woody considered law school but wanted to teach, yet despite his college degree, the only position available to Woody in the school districts at the time was that of custodian, a position he held for several years. Woody received advanced teaching degrees from Cal State-Hayward and UC-Berkeley, and Woody became (as documented in CORE: A Study in the Civil Rights Movement, 1942-1968, by A. Meier & E. Rudwick) the chairman of the Oakland, California chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality. He marched with Martin Luther King Jr. throughout the South in the 1960’s and spearheaded efforts in this area for equal justice and opportunity. In the late 1960s, Woody became one of the first African-American teachers in the Contra Costa Unified School District, teaching U.S. History to juniors at Ygnacio Valley High School for about a decade. As a history teacher, he and a fellow teacher and close friend, Kaz Mori, developed one of the first multi-cultural curriculums implemented in schools and continued to work to increase opportunities for all young adults. After his retirement, Woody retained his curiosity for the world and continued to learn form and to share knowledge with all those he encountered. He loved sharing time with family and friends, raving about the 49ers and the Raiders and the Giants, eating chicken and dumplings and lemon tarts, “getting a Boston” in bid whist, seeing his buddies at dialysis each week, pulling a few practical jokes, and listening to great jazz. He could always be counted on for a good story, a great joke, a strong smile and a grand laugh, and he loved planning Millie’s surprise 80th birthday party this past October. Memorial Services are scheduled for Saturday, January 18, at one p.m. at The Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, California (Tel. 510-654-0123), with a reception immediately following in the adjacent Bible Cloister. There will not be a public viewing. In lieu of flowers, donations may made to a memorial scholarship fund to benefit graduating high school students pursuing multi-cultural studies in college; details regarding the scholarship program will be announced in the near future. The Faddis family extends heartfelt appreciation to all for the thoughtfulness and for sharing stories.
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