Marie Woodward

An amazing woman has gone home. Marie Alda (Malgesini) Woodward was born on 8 August 1922 in Monroe, WA when her parents were here from Italy visiting and she died on 24 November 2014. The oldest of seven children of Giobbe John Malgesini and Matilde Salvadalena, she returned to northern Italy when she was 3 and grew up there. She studied at least 5 languages, became an expert seamstress, and loved working outside including in her grandparents’ grapes. She was legendary for riding her bike 18 miles between Regoledo, Italy where she lived and Mese where her grandparents lived, often carrying one small aunt on the front of the bike and another one on the back.

This impressive physical strength, as well as her spiritual vigor, served her well after she returned to the USA with her parents and six siblings in 1938. Hoping to be an interpreter with expertise in multiple languages, she signed on for the Women’s Army Corps. In New Guinea, PFC Malgesini met the love of her life in one blue grass-playing, joke-telling soldier from Kentucky named Harry Lanos Jack Woodward, aka “Woody.” After being married in the Philippines in 1945, Marie and Woody settled in Snohomish where their first of five daughters was born. Besides being an exemplary mother to her daughters and a devoted wife to her beloved Woody, Marie was in the first group of women working at Scott Paper Company and was the first person to receive an Associate Arts degree (in accounting) from Everett Community College by taking only night classes. She continued to be the family seamstress making everything from country western shirts to wedding gowns and the entire attire for many, many wedding parties. She also continued her allegiance to the US serving as Quarter Master for the Snohomish VFW chapter. When her daughters were older, she worked for 15 years at two rehab organizations, COVE and Work Opportunities retiring in 1988.

Marie Alda joins her beloved Woody, Papa and Nini, brothers John, Frank, Lino, Donato, and granddaughter Angie. Surviving to live on her legacy of love and family are her daughters Carmen (Richard) Werder, Nancy (Steve) Marl, Veralee (Sherman) Estes, Darlene (Brian) Hussey, Janet (Craig) Bruckshen; sister Lily (Dean) Mitchell and brother Erasmo Malgesini. She leaves 13 adoring grandchildren: Tammy, Fritz, Amy, Joseph, Zach, Josh, Bryan, Amanda, Trevor, TJ, Dylan, Noah, and Faith along with 15 great grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild. A woman who made an important difference to so many, she will be missed by her family and friends here including in Michigan and Indiana, and in Italy. Services will be held on Monday, Dec.1 with viewing and rosary at 1 p.m. followed by a funeral mass at 2 p.m. at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church, 8517 7th Ave. S.E., Everett, WA. In lieu of flowers, memorials are welcomed to Warm Beach Community Center, 20420 Marine Drive, Stanwood, WA 98292 where she was so well loved and cared for.