William Woods
Kirkland Legend

Bill Woods, Pharmacist, Philanthropist, Fmr Kirkland Mayor
10/31/1925-12/7/22

It is with a heavy heart that I post about my friend, mentor, and community leader for Kirkland Bill Woods has passed at the age of 97. Bill was the Former Kirkland mayor, fundraiser, and longtime community champion. Bill took me under his wing the moment he met me and found out we were both University of Montana alums and helped support Lake Washington Physical Therapy as we got off the ground. Bill and I spent many years together as a PT, Trainer, mentee-mentor, and lunch/coffee buddy. These sort of relationships that develop with people are the reason you become a PT. We had a very similar paths with lower-middle class upbringings, time at the University of Montana for sports, hurdlers, and former football players. Most of our talks revolved around Montana, business, Evergreen Hospital, Kirkland's development, Seahawks, Geo-Political Events, working with your wife (JoMae), and George's breakfast menu. He was always the first to deflect and give credit to others a quality of a leader in my opinion.

Woods, a World War II veteran, worked as a pharmacist for about 40 years. He moved to Kirkland in 1953 when the city had about 5,000 residents, and in 1962, he opened the Lakeshore Pharmacy. Bill helped found EvergreenHealth's hospital and raised money for them for years. Woods served on the Kirkland City Council as mayor from 1966-1974. After his time in government, he spent years raising money to make the Kirkland Performance Center a reality, which we still enjoy to this day.

Bill and his public service left an indelible legacy with Kirkland. He helped change the city’s style of government from a mayor-centric system to the current council/city manager administration. As mayor, he oversaw one of the city’s biggest growth spurts with the annexation of Houghton, which nearly doubled the city’s size. During his years as mayor from 1966-1974, Bill helped facilitate the city’s transition to leadership by a city manager. Bill as mayor acquired large amounts of waterfront for the city, the most popular of which is Marina Park. The acquisitions were, in part, funded by Lady Byrd Johnson’s initiative to preserve natural lands for the public. While at the controls of the city When we talked about it he said that people thought he was "crazy" and he had to rally people to see his vision. “Many people were upset that we took so much valuable property off the tax record,” adding he has never regretted the move. His only regret was that they did not purchase more to make a water access trail for everyone to enjoy.

In an interview for gave at an old-timers lunch which I attended a number of times (old souls feel very at home with this group). Old-timers might have a reputation as resistant to change, but not Bill Woods. He often uses the metaphor of house remodeling to illustrate why changes are necessary, most recently directed towards the renovation of Park Place. He believed nothing should be static which is part of his resilience after loosing a child to a drunk driver and the passing of his high school sweetheart.

“When my kids were young, we built a house with a nursery and it was perfect for them. But, when they got to be teenagers, we noticed that they didn’t want to be around anymore. So, we remodeled the house and were one of the first families to buy a microwave oven. The kids started bringing their friends to the house to watch popcorn pop in the microwave. When the kids grew up and left the house, there was only the two of us. So, we remodeled again, knocking out some walls and installing a nice guest room downstairs where our aging parents could visit. You have to update”.

Bill also served on the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce board for many years and was instrumental in the development of the Kirkland Downtown Association. He served as president of the Jaycees and Rotary clubs as well as the Washington State Pharmacy Association. The Kirkland Chamber’s William C. Woods "Above and Beyond Award" is named after him. He personally helped me get the Kirkland Shamrock Run off the ground and also served as our first race starter in 2011.

Woods received numerous awards during his career including the Bowl of Hygeia in 1977, a national award given for community service to one pharmacist per year in the U.S., and the Governor’s award for small business excellence in 1987. He worked for more than a decade raising funds and support for the completion of the Kirkland Performance Center, helped start the first Bank of Kirkland in 1970 and has served as the president of the Kirkland Jaycees, the Kirkland Rotary Club, the Washington State Pharmacy Association and the Greater Kirkland Chamber of Commerce.

“Bill demonstrated a long-time love and commitment toward the community through his generosity of time,” according to a statement from the Greater Kirkland Chamber of Commerce. “We are a better city and community because of Bill’s numerous contributions, and he will be dearly missed.”