Edward Woods

Edward Rielly Woods

EDWARD RIELLY (TED) WOODS - Born February 8,1954 in Toronto, Ontario; died July 16, 2020 in Kitchener, Ontario. Ted was predeceased by his parents, William Arthur Woods, and Frances Louise Woods (nee Dunne). He is survived by his brother, Thomas Dunne Woods (Ruth) of Toronto; his sisters Mary Jane Woods (Robert Sloan) of Kitchener, Margaret Ann Kuhlman (Steve) of Indianapolis, Indiana, and Norah Louise Johnson (Mark) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; his nieces and nephews Shannon and Derek Woods, William Sloan, Patrick, Thomas and Robert Kuhlman, and Samuel Johnson; and his dear friend Cynthia Roberts who was by his side throughout his final days.

Ted grew up in Weston, Ontario, and attended St. John the Evangelist Catholic School, Chaminade College School, and Weston Collegiate Institute. He was a retired Superintendent at Canada Post.

Ted was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2013 and received a stem cell transplant in 2014. He fought this disease with vigor and an incredibly positive attitude. He was very fortunate to receive exceptional care from the medical teams primarily at Princess Margaret and Toronto Western hospitals.

A proud Weston boy, Ted and his brother played road hockey most days until sundown, and minor hockey at Weston Arena, where he often led the league in penalty minutes. Never one to back down, he loved a good debate. Though he rarely sugar-coated his opinions, he was known as a kind-hearted soul and a loyal friend to many.

Ted never married, but found true friendship late in life with Cynthia, a former colleague at Canada Post. Their 20-year friendship afforded them many fond memories and a bond that would carry them into Ted's final days and passing. While Ted was a very private person, he was very loyal to those he cared for and always enjoyed their company and conversation. Although he grew restless at school, he was a voracious reader and king of the NYT crossword puzzles.

His expertise at Canada Post was in designing and redesigning routes for letter carriers - he started as a letter carrier, so he knew what constituted a fair day’s work. He would often say, however, that the best job he ever had was as a caddy in the summer during the late 60’s and early 70’s at Weston Golf and Country Club. From his time there, Ted learned a lot - about winning and losing, and about how to deal with people. After he retired, he worked as a ranger at local golf clubs, getting paid in green fee coupons. Rangers drove golf carts around prodding slow players to pick up the pace. Seeing Ted approaching in his cart was enough to get people moving - he knew how to have a 'difficult conversation’. But beneath his sometimes-gruff exterior was a modest, unpretentious and loving man - someone we all will miss very much.

Ted will be laid to rest at Mount Hope Cemetery in a private family ceremony. Friends will be invited to celebrate Ted’s life at a later date.

If you wish to make a donation in recognition of Ted, please consider The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, thepmcf.ca, or a charity of your choice.