Charles C. Woodard, Jr., “Chuck” of Medford, NJ and formerly of Hastings-on-Hudson, NY passed away on June 11, 2021. He was 97. Chuck Woodard was born in Los Angeles, CA in 1923. He enrolled at UCLA in 1941 and subsequently joined Army ROTC after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. While still at UCLA he renewed an acquaintance with Margaret McHaffie, his future wife. He famously asked her out and when she said she was interested in another man and asked why he would want a date he replied “you’re better than a blind date”. In January 1944 he was ordered to Fort Benning, Georgia for infantry officer training. While there he and Margaret became engaged and set a wedding date in June 1944. Chuck was unable to get enough leave to get back to Los Angeles for the planned wedding so they instead met in New Orleans, where they married in the home of a local minister in front of a crowd of 20 strangers. In January 1945 his unit was shipped to Europe where he saw battle action in Germany. He was wounded in April 1945 and returned home, subsequently returning to UCLA and graduating in 1946. He then went to Stanford Law School where he was a member of their first Law Review. After law school Chuck went to work in the Legal Department of CBS in Los Angeles. CBS transferred him to New York City in 1953 as a senior television attorney. He and Margaret moved to Hastings-on-Hudson, a suburb of New York City, with their four children. In 1956 he left CBS to join Westinghouse Broadcasting Corporation as a Vice President. While living in Hastings he was elected to a two-year term as Mayor in 1959 and later served two terms on the School Board.
In 1963 Chuck took a two year leave of absence from Westinghouse to be the Peace Corps Associate Director of Public Affairs, reporting to Bill Moyers and Sargent Shriver, and responsible for recruiting, advertising, and public relations. Looking back on his career he often said this was by far his most interesting and rewarding job. He returned to Westinghouse in 1965 where he was responsible for the development of their new cable TV business. In 1970 he was recruited to Teleprompter Corporation as Assistant General Manager of their cable TV division. He left in 1972 to join Broad Street Communications as president of their cable TV subsidiary. In 1974 McGraw Hill published his book “Cable Television- Acquisition and Operation of CATV Systems”, after which he left Broad Street to open a consulting practice in the cable TV business. In that capacity he acted as special counsel to numerous towns and cities in their negotiations of contracts with cable TV providers. His most memorable consulting assignment was assisting the US Copyright Office in the writing of regulations concerning cable TV to implement the Copyright Law of 1976, the first major rewrite of that law since 1909. In 1995, by then fully retired, he and Margaret moved to the Medford Leas Continuing Care Retirement Community in Medford, NJ where they led an active life both socially and in the management of retiree activities. Chuck was known for speaking his mind, often to the chagrin of those taking an opposing view. A lifelong Democrat, he was a strong advocate for human rights and a generous donor to a variety of political, charitable and environmental causes. In his spare time, he enjoyed bridge, ballroom dancing, theater and reading. Chuck’s greatest pride and joy was his large family. One of his favorite anecdotes was that he wanted two children, Margaret wanted four, so they compromised and had four. He also said that he adored each of his children, and that he couldn’t wait to see what the next one would be like. Chuck was a fun and doting grandparent to his eight grandchildren. He took particular pride in the regular family reunions that he and Margaret started in 1977 and that continue to this day. It gave him great pleasure knowing that his children and grandchildren also enjoy getting together on other occasions. Margaret passed away in 2010, not long after they celebrated 66 years of marriage. Chuck is survived by his son Charles Woodard and wife Lisa Eggleston of Arvada, CO; daughters Kathryn Cain of Richmond, VA, Melissa Woodard of Amherst, MA, and Deborah Woodard of MA; sister-in-law Ruth Eastman; grandchildren Bryan Cain and wife Amy, Erin Toscani and husband Pete, Colin Barringer and wife Melissa, Meghan Pitter and husband Ken, Sarah Higgins and wife Kim, Amanda George and husband Dipin, Kate LaPorta and husband Greg, and Jeffrey Woodard; nieces Susan Hurford, Janet Gravelle, and Cynthia McCarthy; nephews David Hurford and Stephen Eastman; and ten great-grandchildren. The family will hold a private Memorial Celebration.
Charles C. Woodard, Jr., “Chuck” of Medford, NJ and formerly of Hastings-on-Hudson, NY passed away on June 11, 2021. He was 97. Chuck Woodard was born in Los Angeles, CA in 1923. He enrolled at UCLA in 1941 and subsequently joined Army ROTC after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. While still at UCLA he renewed an acquaintance with Margaret McHaffie, his future wife. He famously asked her out and when she said she was interested in another man and asked why he would want a date he replied “you’re better than a blind date”. In January 1944 he was ordered to Fort Benning, Georgia for infantry officer training. While there he and Margaret became engaged and set a wedding date in June 1944. Chuck was unable to get enough leave to get back to Los Angeles for the planned wedding so they instead met in New Orleans, where they married in the home of a local minister in front of a crowd of 20 strangers. In January 1945 his unit was shipped to Europe where he saw battle action in Germany. He was wounded in April 1945 and returned home, subsequently returning to UCLA and graduating in 1946. He then went to Stanford Law School where he was a member of their first Law Review. After law school Chuck went to work in the Legal Department of CBS in Los Angeles. CBS transferred him to New York City in 1953 as a senior television attorney. He and Margaret moved to Hastings-on-Hudson, a suburb of New York City, with their four children. In 1956 he left CBS to join Westinghouse Broadcasting Corporation as a Vice President. While living in Hastings he was elected to a two-year term as Mayor in 1959 and later served two terms on the School Board. In 1963 Chuck took a two year leave of absence from Westinghouse to be the Peace Corps Associate Director of Public Affairs, reporting to Bill Moyers and Sargent Shriver, and responsible for recruiting, advertising, and public relations. Looking back on his career he often said this was by far his most interesting and rewarding job. He returned to Westinghouse in 1965 where he was responsible for the development of their new cable TV business. In 1970 he was recruited to Teleprompter Corporation as Assistant General Manager of their cable TV division. He left in 1972 to join Broad Street Communications as president of their cable TV subsidiary. In 1974 McGraw Hill published his book “Cable Television- Acquisition and Operation of CATV Systems”, after which he left Broad Street to open a consulting practice in the cable TV business. In that capacity he acted as special counsel to numerous towns and cities in their negotiations of contracts with cable TV providers. His most memorable consulting assignment was assisting the US Copyright Office in the writing of regulations concerning cable TV to implement the Copyright Law of 1976, the first major rewrite of that law since 1909. In 1995, by then fully retired, he and Margaret moved to the Medford Leas Continuing Care Retirement Community in Medford, NJ where they led an active life both socially and in the management of retiree activities. Chuck was known for speaking his mind, often to the chagrin of those taking an opposing view. A lifelong Democrat, he was a strong advocate for human rights and a generous donor to a variety of political, charitable and environmental causes. In his spare time, he enjoyed bridge, ballroom dancing, theater and reading. Chuck’s greatest pride and joy was his large family. One of his favorite anecdotes was that he wanted two children, Margaret wanted four, so they compromised and had four. He also said that he adored each of his children, and that he couldn’t wait to see what the next one would be like. Chuck was a fun and doting grandparent to his eight grandchildren. He took particular pride in the regular family reunions that he and Margaret started in 1977 and that continue to this day. It gave him great pleasure knowing that his children and grandchildren also enjoy getting together on other occasions. Margaret passed away in 2010, not long after they celebrated 66 years of marriage. Chuck is survived by his son Charles Woodard and wife Lisa Eggleston of Arvada, CO; daughters Kathryn Cain of Richmond, VA, Melissa Woodard of Amherst, MA, and Deborah Woodard of MA; sister-in-law Ruth Eastman; grandchildren Bryan Cain and wife Amy, Erin Toscani and husband Pete, Colin Barringer and wife Melissa, Meghan Pitter and husband Ken, Sarah Higgins and wife Kim, Amanda George and husband Dipin, Kate LaPorta and husband Greg, and Jeffrey Woodard; nieces Susan Hurford, Janet Gravelle, and Cynthia McCarthy; nephews David Hurford and Stephen Eastman; and ten great-grandchildren. The family will hold a private Memorial Celebration.
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