Wilbur C. Woodhams' Obituary
The Rev. Wilbur Charles Woodhams, former rector of Christ Church in Tacoma and of St. PaulÂ's Within-the-Walls in Rome, Italy, died April 27 in Gig Harbor. He would have been 89 on May 2.Rev. Woodhams, who was called Bill, was known for his wide ranging interests and keen intellect, a worldly charm which drew many friends into his circle, a buoyant step and lively sense of humor, a thatch of white hair, and Hollywood good looks. He was also an avid sailor, a builder, a schemer, a skier, a lover of poetry and music, a painter, a horn player, a family man, a Harvard-trained lawyer, a Jungian analyst, something of a tennis player, something better of a cook, and a digger of clams.While rector of Christ Church from 1950-1961, Bill was also chaplain at Annie Wright School, and involved in the restoration of St. PeterÂ's in Old Town, the establishment of St. Matthew on BrownÂ's Point, and the founding of Charles Wright School. It was during this time that he met his mentor, the late Stephen F. Bayne, the Bishop of Olympia and later Bishop of the European Convocation, who recommended Bill for the post at St. PaulÂ's in Rome.Rev. Woodhams was rector at St. PaulÂ's from 1961-1982, a period that encompassed ecumenical, cultural and political upheaval. He was particularly interested in the rapprochements between the Catholic and Anglican churches prompted by the ecumenical councils of Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI in the 1960s. He commissioned the noted sculptor Dmitri Hadzi to design and construct two huge door panels on the front of St. PaulÂ's to commemorate the first meeting of the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury in Rome. When these were completed, and the doors swung open, it was an historic first in the 100-year history of this great church Â- by edict, Protestant churches had not been allowed to open their doors directly to a Roman street.BillÂ's time in Rome was fruitful and intellectually challenging. He established the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center, which remains active to this day ministering to refugees from oppression, and he was a founding trustee of St. StephenÂ's School, one of EuropeÂ's premier high schools. In 1971 he took a sabbatical from St. PaulÂ's and studied at the C. G. Jung Institute in Zurich.Born May 2, 1917, in Palo Alto, CA, Bill grew up largely in Redwood City, CA. His father, Clifton H. Woodhams Sr, was also a California native and the Woodhams family were early settlers in the Bay Area. His mother, Caroline Doxsee Woodhams, was of Iowa stock, and many of BillÂ's pioneer ancestors were early settlers of the upper Midwest. Rev. Woodhams was graduated from Stanford University in 1938 and Harvard Law School in 1941, upon which he joined the California Bar and was a proud member all his life. He married Margaret Coleman (known as Margo) of San Francisco in 1939. When World War II broke out, Bill joined the Navy and was a supply officer on Liberty ships in the North Pacific from 1943-45. During this time, Bill and Margo lived on Hood Canal and developed a love for the Puget Sound that they would never lose. After the war, Bill attended the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Cambridge, MA, and he then served as an associate rector at St. LukeÂ's in San Francisco before being called to Christ Church in 1950.Upon retiring from St. PaulÂ's in 1982, Bill and Margo, who passed away in 1996, moved to Gig Harbor but spent much time at the family beach house at Rocky Bay on Key Peninsula. Bill built the cabin in 1951 and it has remained a treasured family spot ever since. Bill was widely noted for entertaining at Rocky Bay, and he spent many worthwhile hours maintaining the place in his later years. He loved nothing more than keeping Rocky Bay simple and rustic, digging clams on the beach (and turning them into a pasta sauce), having a sail, and playing his trombone on the deck. In retirement, Rev. Woodhams also traveled widely, maintaining friendships and business relationships in Europe. He fixed up an old goat-herderÂ's cabin in Questa, NM. He edited an anthology of sermons and prayers by Bishop Bayne, and it was published as Â"Now is the Accepted Time.Â" Bill married Lynn Martin, a poet and English teacher, in 1999. They lived joyfully between her house in Purdy, known as Appleshade, and the Rocky Bay beach cabin 10 miles away. In addition to Ms. Martin, Rev. Woodhams is survived by his 6 children: Margaret Fuchs of Dogern, Germany, Caroline of Tacoma, Charles of East Montpelier, Vt., Mark of Tucson, AZ, Stephen of Santa Cruz, CA, and Sarah Perret of Geneva, Switzerland; by 16 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren; and by his sister Carol Woodhams of Arcata, CA.Visitation will be held from 1-9 PM on Friday, May 5, 2006 at Mountain View Funeral Home. The service will be held 10:30 AM on Saturday, May 6, 2006 at Christ Church, Tacoma, with burial at the Vaughn Cemetery. Donations may be made to Nativity House, 2304 S. Jefferson Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402.
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