Donald Woods, 61
Donald Brian Woods of Ronan was born in Rochester, Minn., on Dec. 5, 1962, to S. Dwight and Marilyn Woods. He peacefully passed away at the age of 61 on May 8, 2024, after a short battle with advanced pancreatic cancer.
Dad was the fourth of five children. He grew up in Kansas City through his sophomore year in high school. At the age of 16, his family moved to a farm in Louisburg, Kan., where they raised cattle. He graduated from high school in 1981.
He attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence where he graduated with degrees in Human Biology and Spanish. He received an MBA and a MIM after studying in Phoenix, Ariz., and Barcelona, Spain.
Upon completion of his studies in Spain, he joined the Peace Corps as a Small Business Development Coordinator in the country of Belize from 1990-1993. After becoming acquainted with the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite in Belize, he came to a deeper understanding of an earlier conversion experience he had at the age of 12. He told the missionary that while in prayer, he had the same experience that he had as a child, only with adult understanding and emotions.
His desire was to be baptized where his Belizean brothers and sisters, missionaries, and fellow Peace Corps workers could attend. He was baptized on July 18, 1993, at the San Ignacio Congregation by Minister Abe Penner.
After returning home from Belize, he settled in central Kansas, attending the Gardenview Congregation. On a visit to Alberta, he met our mom, Heather Isaac.
They were married at the Heart Valley Congregation on July 30, 1994. This union was blessed with two sons and two daughters.
Beginning in the year of 2000, our family spent five years in the mission in Burkina Faso. In 2006, shortly after our return from Africa, we moved to Ronan. Dad was called to the Gospel Ministry in December of 2009. He was elected to the board of the Gospel Tract and Bible Society and was actively serving at the time of his passing.
Some of Dad’s occupations were working at Kropf Lumber in Heston, Kan., as business manager at a doctor’s office, and finally as CFO at MT Solar. Dad enjoyed a lifetime of learning. He had a gift for learning languages and genealogies.
His passion was his ministry, but his interests included diverse foods, popcorn, reading, gardening and tax preparation. Dad loved being Papa to George, Naomi and Chloe. In his farewell to his family, he whispered, “Keep the Faith. It is the most important thing.”
Left with loving memories are his wife, Heather, children Samantha and Andrew Schmidt, Macklin and Bethany Woods, Natalie, and Rain, all of Ronan; mother, Marilyn Woods of Polson; siblings: Steve and Robin Woods, Tiffany Smith, Dennis and Kim Woods, and Tom Woods and Jennifer Shining; in-laws: Keith and Marion Isaac, Irvin and Virg Klassen, Florence Mitchell, Trev and Kathy Penner, Wayne and Leone Isaac, Denver and Noreen Eidse, Clay and Andrea Isaac, Gary and Lorna Klassen, and Garth and Jodi Isaac.
He was preceded in death by his father and parents-in-law. Messages of condolences may be shared with the family online at www.lakefuneralhomeandcremation.com.
Arrangements are under the care of The Lake Funeral Home and Crematory.