Charles Woods, Sr. (Lansing)

Charles Woods, Sr., 63, husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend died peacefully on Saturday, April 14, 2018 at his home in Lansing, Michigan. He was born on October 16, 1954 to the late Calvin “Gent” Woods and Rebecca Florence Woods in Tuskegee, Alabama.

Charles grew up as an army brat with travels to Fairbanks, Alaska, Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Fort Benning, Georgia and Columbus, Georgia. As a young adult, he visited the state of Michigan. Charles’s avid hobby and craft was working on cars. From the age of 13, in Fort Walton Beach, Florida with Uncle Walter; to Battle Creek, Michigan with Uncle Junior; from here and there with Uncle Willie C, Charles had become so skilled at the trade that the uncles would call him to help them fix cars they were working on! 😊 His love as a mechanic continued to the present. He moved to Michigan at the age of 18 and never returned to Georgia or Alabama to live. He worked with Uncle Junior in Battle Creek at Sunoco gas station after his arrival. Charles then moved to Lansing to work at Thomas Brothers and Leaseway car haulers – he started there as a mechanic and moved on to become a welder. He was employed there for 27 years and the company changed names to Cooper. Charles worked there until a freak accident forced him to medically retire. He owned his own trucking business but due to his health, he was forced to let it go. Charles has a few more unfinished projects still in the yard, now left for someone else to finish or to pick up and carry on the trade.

Loved ones of his legacy are his wife, Cynthia Fordham Woods, four sons, Charles (Jeanette) Woods, Jr., Columbus, Georgia, Keith (JoAnna) Rembert, Lansing, Michigan, Kalen (Oneka) Woods, Ypsilanti, Michigan and Lovell Bland, Lansing, Michigan; two daughters, Josephine Tamara Woods and Lorraine Ann Woods, Lansing, Michigan; three grandchildren; three brothers, Napoleon (Mattie) Woods, Warner Robins, Georgia, Alfred Woods, Sr., Lansing, Michigan and Bernard (Lisa) Thomas, Sr., Columbus, Georgia; one sister, Gloria (Gaber) Gibson, Columbus, Georgia; two uncles, Walter Florence, Fort Walton Beach, Flordia and Willie C. Florence, Flint, Michigan; sister-in-law, Pam Fordham, Buffalo, New York; brother-in-law, Barry Fordham, Virginia Beach, Virginia; grandchildren, many nieces, nephews, cousins, Godchildren, other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Calvin “Gent” Woods and Rebecca Florence Smith, and Step-Daddy, SFC/ret Theodore R. Thomas.



In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donation to the American Heart Association, 2469 Woodlake Circle Suite 100, Okemos, MI 48864 or American Diabetes Association of Michigan, 20700 Civic Center Drive, Suite 100, Southfield, Michigan, 48076