Charles "Porky" R. Woods Jr.

Charles Woods Jr, age 92, of Sugar Creek, MO, passed away peacefully on November 22, 2022. He was born in Des Moines, IA on September 9, 1930 to Charles Woods Sr and Christena Dekker. He was one of five boys born to Charles and Christena.
Although his given name was Charles, he went by several nicknames from his family, friends, and co-workers: Junior, Porky or Charlie. He especially preferred being called Porky. He met his loving wife, Mary Lou, at Brownies Café in Fairmount, Independence, MO. They were married on October 7, 1949 and were blessed to have reached their 70th wedding anniversary. They made their home in Sugar Creek, MO in May 1960 where they raised three children, Gary, Angie and Chrissy. Porky worked as a welder at Armco Steel for about 32 years and retired. For the next 20 years, he began driving a lumber truck for Magic Woods, delivering lumber across a 4-state region. His hobbies in years past had included family tent camping, fishing, morel mushroom hunting, turkey hunting just to name a few. Tent camping was a summer staple in our family until later in his life. It was replaced by destination vacations including one of his most memorable trips to the Holy Land and Medjugorje in 1988.
Porky was a member of St. Cyril’s Catholic Church in Sugar Creek, MO for the entire time he resided in Sugar Creek. He served on the board of the Sugar Creek Citizens Civic Relief Commission (CCRC) and worked at the CCRC food pantry serving the Sugar Creek community’s needs. He was recognized along with his wife Mary Lou for decades of volunteering and supporting the Sugar Creek community by being presented with the Sugar Creek Citizen of the Year Award around 2000.
Porky was preceded in death by his wife Mary Lou. Parents Charles and Christena. Brothers Irving (killed in WWII), James, Francis and Joseph. He is survived by three children; Gary Woods, Angela McVey (Jim), Christena Horne; nine grandchildren Tim Woods, Tom Woods, Cassie Woods, Carrie Woods, Callie Lawrence (Jared), Carly Taylor (Luke), Amber Douglas (Ben), Aaron Vroom (Lyn), Sarah Hughes (Tyler); 10 great-grandchildren Izzie, William & Annie (Lawrence), Jaxon (Taylor), Avery & Archer (Vroom), Clark & Isaac (Douglas), Ava (Hughes), Abbie (Woods).
Visitation will be 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at Carson-Speaks Chapel, 1501 W Lexington Ave, Independence, MO 64052 with the rosary recited at 5:30 p.m.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at St. Cyril’s Church, 11401 Chicago Ave, Sugar Creek, MO 64054. The procession to Mt. Olivet Cemetery will follow the Mass.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Harvesters Food Pantry:
https://www.harvesters.org/how-to-help/donate