Miriam L. Woodward

Miriam Louise Turpit Woodward, age 94, of Charlotte died Sunday October 13, 2013 in Tallahassee, FL. Miriam, known as “Min” to her closest friends and “Mrs. W” to many others, was a successful businesswoman, loving mother and wonderful grandmother.

Born in Schenectady, NY May 2, 1919 to Leon and Norma (Hearty) Turpit, Miriam spent her formative years in Burnt Hills, NY graduating from Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School in1936. She attended Bryant College in Providence, Rhode Island. While there she was a member of the Sigma Lambda Theta Society. Miriam completed her studies at the Mildred Elley Business School of Albany, NY in 1940 and began work at General Electric in Schenectady, NY as an executive secretary.

Miriam married Vincent “Woody” Woodward September 9, 1942. After 2 years working at GE, Vince then served in the Merchant Marines during WWII. After the war he rejoined Miriam at GE; his work in the locomotive division soon required international travel. They spent 15 years working in Canada, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, India and Pakistan. Miriam often stated those times held some of her fondest memories.

Miriam along with her husband and son returned to the US in 1960 and eventually put their roots down in Charlotte, NC. Together, they began Woodward Specialty Sales out of their house basement in 1964, later renamed Woodward Compressor Sales to better reflect its product line.

Mrs. W assumed leadership of the company upon Vince’s death in 1969. She was known as strong business women, who after the passing of her husband attended Queens College evening business classes, educating herself on the finer points of business administration. A true sign of her dedication to the company, she worked until the age of 93, reluctantly retiring in November of last year.

Not only was Miriam a formidable business owner, she was also someone who gave back to her community. Miriam was one of the original volunteer ushers at NC Blumenthal Performing Arts Center - volunteering there for 11 years. Other volunteer organizations included the American Red Cross, Carolinas Medical Center and the Little Theatre of Charlotte. A breast cancer survivor herself, she volunteered with breast cancer programs throughout the Charlotte area.

When she was not working or volunteering, Miriam loved to golf and was a member of the Carolina Golf Club in Charlotte. She belonged to the North Carolina Women’s Golf Association and the National Senior Sports Association. Other hobbies included gardening, bowling, line dancing, flower arranging, foreign language classes and most especially, traveling the world.

Raised in the Methodist church, Grace United Methodist Church of Charlotte had been her place of worship since 1963.

Treasuring her legacy and love is her son Richard B Woodward and wife Paula, grandson Paul V Woodward and wife Julia, granddaughter Sara L Woodward, her “other” son Michael Queen and wife Cheryl, several nephews as well as her many friends and co-workers.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made in Miriam’s honor to Big Bend Hospice (1723 Mahan Center Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32308) or to a charity of your choice.

A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, October 19, 2013, at McEwen Funeral Service at Sharon Memorial Park, 5716 Monroe Road, Charlotte, NC 28212.