Alan Churchill Woods Jr. ’40

Alan died Sept. 30, 2002, of complications from a stroke. He spent most of his life in Baltimore, where he pursued — as had his father and grandfather — his beloved medical profession.

Preparing at Gilman, he followed his grandfather, Hiram Woods 1879, his uncle, Alexander Armstrong 1899, and cousin, A. Armstrong, Jr. '37, to Princeton. His cousin Arthur Machen Jr. '42 was to join him.

At Princeton, Alan majored in biology, winning departmental honors and Sigma Xi. He was in the swimming managerial and a member of Charter Club. In 1942 he graduated from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Phi Beta Kappa. From 1946-48, he served in the Army Medical Corps, being discharged as captain.

Alan returned to Johns Hopkins for his residency and rapidly established himself as a "superb general surgeon who could do anything and did it well; an outstanding professor and raconteur." This outgoing personality also served as trustee of the Gilman School and was an ardent hunter, fisherman, swimmer, and yachtsman.

Alan is survived by his second wife of 28 years, the former Julie Reiner; three sons, Alan III, Runyon, and Richard; a daughter, Louise W. Eaton; a stepson, S. Page Nelson; two stepdaughters, Holly Ghazey and Julie Brown; 12 grandchildren, and one great-grandson. To all of them, his classmates offer their sincere condolences.

The Class of 1940