Sharon Kathleen "Kathy" Woodward (79) of Effingham
Published on September 17 2023 8:01 pm
Sharon Kathleen “Kathy” Woodward, 79, passed away on September 16, 2023, at Lakeland Nursing Home in Effingham.
A visitation will be held from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday, September 22, 2023 at Bauer Funeral Home in Effingham. In lieu of flowers, you may donate to the Parkinson’s Foundation (www.parkinson.org) or Hospice Foundation (hospicefoundation.org/Donate).
Kathy was born in 1943, in Jacksonville, IL, the eldest of five children. Her husband recalls her being “whip smart and so pretty. No matter where we went, she lit up the room.” She married her high school sweetheart, Lyndall Woodward, in 1959, and they had five children.
After dedicating several years to raising her children and helping run the family business, Woodward’s Fire Place, Kathy shifted focus; and after studying side by side with her daughter, Karen, in 1991 they walked the graduation stage together as registered nurses. Kathy worked at St. Anthony’s Hospital for 25 years, where she made many lifelong friends. When not at the hospital, she enjoyed interior decorating, tending to her flower beds, gossiping with her children about the latest episode of All My Children, rooting for her beloved St. Louis Cardinals, and traveling around the country – and the world – visiting her children and grandchildren.
Kathy’s annual Christmas party was the talk of the town, and extended family always knew there was a seat for them at her Thanksgiving table. People loved Kathy for her warmth and generosity, her sharp wit and tenacity. She never missed an opportunity to celebrate her children’s successes; seeing them thrive was her greatest source of pride and joy.
She is survived by her husband of 64 years, Lyndall; her daughter Candy Woodward of Mesa, AZ; her daughter Michelle (Morris) Smith of Noblesville, IN; her son Jeff Woodward of New York, NY; her daughter Karen (Jon) Raleigh of Naperville, IL; her daughter Monica Woodward of Fishers, IN; three siblings; and six grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Judy Hughes.