A basketball coach who imparted wisdom and taught court skills to children over five decades at schools across Northeast Ohio has died. Mark "Coach Woody" Woodward of Royal Redeemer in North Royalton was 67.
From managing a baseball team in his teens to a career that has seen him make stops coaching basketball at Bethany Lutheran School in Parma, Parma Heights Christian Academy, and for more than a decade, coaching at Royal Redeemer Lutheran School, Woodward spread his love of the game here in Northeast Ohio.
Woodward has poured everything into coaching, a strictly voluntary job in which he invested his heart into the many teams he's coached over the years, and each player on the team has taken something from their beloved coach.
Woodward was the subject of a 2024 profile on News 5.
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Born in Lakewood in 1957, Woodward's obituary called him a caring father and loving grandfather who "touched the lives of many through his unwavering faith and wisdom."
“He’s put got first in everything. He's put God first in his life, in his marriage, and his finances and everything. So that has shaped him In every decision he makes,” said Paul Hofener, Woodward's brother-in-law. “We all know where he is and that he is in a much better place, and we're all happy for him because he fought the good fight, and he did everything for his Lord. Put him first in everything, and God took care of him.”
Melinda Luecke, interim principal at Royal Redeemer Schools, remembered him fondly, having worked alongside Woodward when she was a first-grade teacher and an athletic director.
“I would describe Woody as a follower of Jesus. And a very loud, passionate coach who wanted the girls to be successful, and to succeed not only on the court but off the court with the relationship with Jesus,” Luecke said.
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