Obituary of Louise W. Woodruff

Louise W. Woodruff OBIT Hallowell, ME. Louise Will Woodruff died peacefully at her home in Hallowell, Maine on May 28, 2014 Born October 4, 1917.in Rochester, New York, Louise was the second of four children of Gretchen Moore Will and Albert Roland Will. She was married to Dr. James Benjamin Woodruff, also of Rochester NY for 58 years until his death in 2001. She spent 50 years of her life in Binghamton, New York raising a family of four children. Louise was a loving wife and mother and she devoted a great deal of her life to the welfare of animals. Her affection for horses was a life-long affair, going back to her youth when she was forbidden to ride and hid a broken collarbone sustained in a fall for days before seeking treatment. She volunteered as a courier in the hills of Kentucky when she joined the Frontier Nursing Service in the late 1930s. There she forded rivers and traveled logging paths on horseback to help the families & accompany midwives for deliveries. Her daughter Jean followed in her footsteps a generation later. Louise later passed on her love of horses and horseback riding to many children in the Binghamton area who were her students. She built a regional branch of the U.S. Pony Club and hosted events for a number years, enhancing the lives of hundreds of young riders, many of whom stayed in touch with her for many years. During her Binghamton years, she also was involved in volunteer work at a local nursing home, was hospitality chair for Women’s Auxiliary of Broome County Medical Society and supported various bird sanctuaries, research organizations and the humane society. She loved playing cards and getting together with her friends a life-long bridge player of some capability, she reminded her children that “If you play bridge, you’ll keep your mind sharp.” An opposing player might note that she never sorted the cards in her hand in that game or when playing Canasta. In her early 60s, she developed an interest in horse dressage. At that time she and her husband became co-owner of competitive dressage horses in a partnership with Gunnar and Birgit Ostergaard, two of the world’s leading dressage experts. After she ceased riding, she remained involved by mending harnesses and horse blankets for local riders. She moved to Maine in 2007 to be closer to her children, but she frequently missed her network of Binghamton friends. She is survived by her children: Jean Woodruff Metcalf of Conway, AR; Barbara Woodruff Chase and her husband Don of Waterville, ME; Jay Woodruff and his wife Suzanne Courtright Woodruff of Wayland, MA; and Scott Woodruff and wife Jill Rondeau of Enola, PA. She also leaves behind nine grandchildren and six great grandchildren. An informal memorial service will be held Saturday at 1 pm, May 31 at Granite Hill Estates, 60 Balsam Drive, Hallowell, Maine, in the main dining room. Funeral arrangements are under the care of Riposta Funeral Home of Belfast, Maine, and condolences can be sent to the family via the Riposta website, http://www.ripostafh.com/fullobituaries.aspx In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her honor to Maine General HomeCare & Hospice, 10 Water Street, Waterville, ME 04901, (800) 670-6959; or Waterville Humane Society (http://hswa.org/) 100 Webb Rd., Waterville, ME 04901, (207) 873-2430. An informal memorial service will be held Saturday at 1 pm, May 31 at Granite Hill Estates, 60 Balsam Drive, Hallowell, Maine, in the main dining room.