Beautiful Santa Barbara Real Estate Blog

How’s Your Mother?

For over 20 years most of my conversations have started with “How’s Your Mother?” But as of Sunday September 12th 2004 all my friends will have to find a new question because my mother, Lillie C. Woods passed away. The questions really started in April 1984 after my mother’s husband and my father Jim Woods passed. He went suddenly and it was a great shock to all of us. Just as they were getting ready to retire and do more traveling and just enjoying life mom’s life partner was gone. They had gotten married after her graduation from Santa Barbara High School in 1938 and enjoyed a wonderful fulfilling life first in the Navy until 1960 and then afterwards in the home they built together on Cathedral Oaks Rd.
After dad’s passing in 1984 I didn’t really expect mom to last very long. Dad was her entire life and I don’t think she felt she had much to live for but some how she found the way. Mom went out and joined and served on the Board of Directors of The Woman’s Club, Hadas Madrinas, Recording for the Blind, The Republican Women’s Club and did endless mailings and social events for the Santa Barbara Symphony. I was so incredibly proud of her for picking herself up and moving forward and I know my father would have been equally proud.
The most amazing thing I think she ever did was go with her best friend in the world Jackie Filbrey over to Europe twice. Both times she had trouble that would have ruined most people’s vacation. Once, a purse was stolen and she ended up at the United States Embassy trying to get a new passport and the other time she ended up in the Hospital. Neither time did I hear a peep out of her. Only after she got back did she mention the events idly in passing. When I said “why didn’t you call me,” all she said was “oh well, I didn’t want to worry you.”
Mom’s health was always fragile. Even from the time she was in High School she was excused from Gym Class with heart problems. Mom always spent a lot of time with doctors but after my dad passed away the problems seemed to increase. It seemed like she was always going in for more tests of one type or another. She was passed around from Doctor to Doctor until she found the awesome Dr. Seth Anderson. Dr. Anderson diagnosed her problem and began treating it.
Even with the outstanding care Dr. Anderson gave her she would end up in the hospital every now and again. Once we were unable to get her on the phone and came charging up here from Los Angeles only to find her delirious on the couch. I scooped her up and took her to Cottage Emergency. Over the years it’s almost not an exaggeration to say we were on a first name basis with the staff of Cottage Emergency. After these stays Dr. Anderson would mix up another of this medical cocktails and she would be up and running again. The Doc called her the “Energizer Bunny.”
For almost half of my life until my wife Laury came on the scene in 1978, mom was my best friend. We traveled miles and miles with each other as dad was transferred from duty station to duty station. Then after the Navy years she was always there for me. No matter what crazy scheme I would come up with, and there were a lot of them, she would just say “how can I help.” As the end of her life approached it was these memories of us being together that would constantly come flooding back to her. She would start “remember when” and we’d be off on a troop ship going to Hawaii, or one of a thousand other places we’d been. Right at the end she’d sometimes become confused as to where was and I would always remind her “No Matter Where You Are You’re Loved.” So that’s how I’d like to answer the question “How’s Your Mother?” “No Matter Where She Is, She’s Loved.”
Gary Woods
In lieu of flowers the family requests that you either donate to Santa Barbara Hospice or the Santa Barbara Symphony in the name of Lillie C. Woods.