Silver Taps Notification

(Published in) The (Bryan-College Station) Eagle (on) February 5, 2016

Woods, Rudy DeWayne

October 12, 1959 - January 28, 2016
The Homegoing Service for the Reverend Rudy DeWayne Woods will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, February 6, at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in College Station, with final viewing at 10 a.m. prior to services. Arrangements are in the care of Jones-Washington Mortuary of Bryan.
Rudy DeWayne Woods was born the fifth out of eight children to Lemon and Ruthie Woods on October 12, 1959 in Bryan, Texas. At an early age, Rudy demonstrated the skills of a great athlete. Standing 7ft tall, Rudy played and dominated the basketball court and later the court of life. He was the tallest, biggest and best to ever pass thru Bryan/College Station, Texas.
His love for basketball started at Stephen F. Austin and Bryan High School in Bryan Independent School District. Rudy would graduate from Bryan H.S. in 1978. While attending Bryan HS his achievements included taking the Bryan Vikings to three state championships under the guidance of Coach Bobby J. Perry; named most valuable player for three years in a row; and being named The 1978 McDonald's All-American MVP. Upon graduation from Bryan High School, Rudy matriculated to Texas A&M University where he played on the varsity team as a freshman under the leadership of Coach Shelby Metcalf from 1978 until 1982 and was named the South West Conference Freshman of the Year. During his tenure as an Aggie he was known as part of "The Wall" and led the team to several championships. Rudy also was fortunate enough to be drafted into the National Basketball Association by the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks. From late 1980s until mid-1990s, Rudy played overseas in Italy, France, and Spain—where he learned to speak five different languages.
Rudy concluded his basketball career and moved on to the next stage of his life by marrying Lover Diane Woods in December of 1997. To their union, Rudy helped to raise four children, Tosha, Joshua, Juandrice, and Harry Jr. Rudy obtained his CDL and drove 18-wheeler trucks for a trucking company based out of Houston then Schlumberger of Bryan, where he traveled all-across the United States. Rudy later worked as a correctional officer at Hamilton Youth State Facility in Bryan—where he impacted the lives of many troubled youths. Later he managed and was the right hand for his daughter's company, J & H Security Enterprise, Inc., where he was a valuable and integral asset to the company.
Rudy's lifespan and legacy covered his early formative years, his basketball career, his working career and last but not least his biblical years. He confessed and accepted Christ into his life at an early age. He attended Mt. Vernon Baptist Church in Bryan during his early years. He was called into the ministry in 2005 as a preacher and teacher under the leadership of the Rev. Broderick Ross at St. James Missionary Baptist Church of Bryan. He then joined Salem Missionary Baptist Church of Wellborn under the leadership of the late Rev. Cedric D. Goodman, Sr. where he was a faithful member and Associate Minister until his health started failing. Later he joined Mt. Nebo Baptist Church in Bryan under the leadership of the Rev. C.L. King, where he was a member until his homegoing.
Rudy was preceded in death by his mother, Ruthie Woods; his father, Lemon Woods Sr.; and his two brothers, David Woods Sr. and Darrin Woods.
Rudy's journey on this earth ended January 28, 2016. He leaves to cherish his memory, the love of his life, Lover Diane Woods; four sons, Rudy Woods, Jr. of Washington D.C., Samuel Warren of Denver Colo., Joshua Brown, Harry Goodman, Jr. and wife Elizabeth, all of Bryan; two daughters, LaTosha Bowles and husband David, of Spring, and Juandrice Goodman of Bryan; three grandsons, Jaedon Bowles, Aden Goodman, and Luke Bowles; and one granddaughter, Bailey Bowles; his two sisters, Sharon Johnson and husband James, and Felicia Lewis and husband Leonard; three brothers, Lemon Woods Jr., Donald Woods, all of Bryan, and Michael Woods and wife Mariko of Yokosuka, Japan; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and two godchildren of Sacramento, Calif., along with a large extended family and many friends.
Rudy's basketball legacy will forever burn in the hearts of his everyone.
[Read: Former A&M star Woods' passion for life shined through basketball]
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(Published in) The (Bryan-College Station) Eagle

Former A&M star Woods' passion for life shined through basketball
By ROBERT CESSNA robert.cessna@theeagle.com | Posted: Tuesday, February 2, 2016 12:00 am

Rudy Woods

[Photo]
Former Bryan and Texas A&M basketball player Rudy Woods (right) accepts the MVP trophy for the 1978 McDonald's All-American game from legendary UCLA men's basketball coach John Wooden. Woods scored 13 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in just 23 minutes to win the award. Woods passed away on Thursday at the age of 57.


Basketball gave Rudy Woods a way to touch lives, which he did right up until his death.

Bryan High’s only McDonald’s All-American died Thursday, succumbing to a decade-long fight against diabetes. Woods, 57, tutored youth in basketball and life until the end. His last pupil was 13-year-old, 6-foot-4 Jaden Bowles, who is his stepgrandson.

“His life spoke for itself,” said Diane Woods, his wife of 17 years, adding that in his final days at the St. Joseph Rehabilitation Center he was teaching and coaching. “The nurses, everybody, they just said his personality stood out. And he loved basketball. … when a game came on, they’d say, ‘What did they do there Mr. Woods? And then, he’d explain the play to them. It was like he lived for basketball.”

Woods was a hometown hero who decided to stay home for college, then after playing professionally, returned home.

Woods signed with Texas A&M, though he could have gone just about anywhere with Kentucky’s Joe B. Hall, Louisiana State’s Dale Brown, North Carolina’s Dean Smith and Michigan’s Johnny Orr among the high-profile coaches making their way to Viking Gym in the late 1970s.

“He was a real genuine person,” said Bobby Joe Perry, his high school coach. “His personality never changed, he was real coachable, even though he was just an outstanding basketball player. He was no prima donna.”

Woods capped his prep career at the 1978 McDonald’s All-American game, which was played at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. The teams were evenly divided for the first time, drawing 13,063 fans, with Woods being most valuable player after leading the West to a 94-86 victory. He scored 13 points with 16 rebounds in only 23 minutes, with legendary UCLA coach John Wooden giving Woods the MVP trophy.

Woods appeared in 111 games at Texas A&M, averaging 11.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game as the Aggies went 85-40 in his four seasons. Woods teamed up with forwards Vernon Smith and Rynn Wright to form the “The Wall” because of their power inside offensively and defensively. They led the 1980 A&M team to a 26-8 record that including a 78-61 double-overtime victory over North Carolina in the NCAA tournament before falling to eventual national champ Louisville in overtime.

Woods was picked in the fourth round of the 1982 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, but he ended up playing a dozen seasons overseas. His wife said he traveled all over, learning five languages, winning a few championships along the way.

“They traveled so much, they were like the Harlem Globetrotters,” she said.

When he retired in 1996, Rudy Woods married his first wife and lived in Denver, working as a police officer, said Diane Woods.

Rudy Woods returned to Bryan to take care of his ailing younger brother, Darrin Woods, who eventually died. Woods then started working more with youth. He had become an associate minister for Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Wellborn when he first retired, then later as his health failed, he became an associate minister at Mt. Nebo Baptist Church.

“He had a very easy personality,” Diane Woods said. “He was very cheerful to be around. He had a demeanor that everyone knew Rudy, everybody respected Rudy. He was drawn to counseling a lot of young people, and [working with] a lot of young basketball teams, whether it was at church or at the centers. He was there for them. His life spoke for itself, it was like a legacy all over Bryan. Everybody loved Rudy Woods. If we went into Wal-Mart, you couldn’t get out there.”

Rudy Woods was going return to school to finish his degree, because he’d been approached about coaching, Diane Woods said, but he never found the time while working with youth along with helping build his stepdaughter’s security business, and then his health started failing.

Woods’ funeral service will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Aldersgate Methodist Church. Visitation will be 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday at Jones-Washington Mortuary.
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(Published in) The (Bryan-College Station) Eagle (on) February 2, 2016

Woods, Rudy

Rudy Woods, 57, of Navasota, passed away Thursday, January 28, 2016. Visitation will be Services are pending with Jones Washington Mortuary, Bryan.