Noah Philip Woods

If you knew Noah, you knew he was always thinking about something. He was endlessly curious about almost everything. He was fascinated by music and art, history and religion, spirituality and sports, business and politics, human behavior, and the unexpected patterns that seemingly connected them all. He was rarely satisfied with the surface of anything. He wanted to understand. He wanted to ask why. He wanted to go deeper.

Noah was incredibly intelligent and creative, but what made him special was the way he thought. He had a unique perspective and a remarkable ability to see things differently and articulate ideas in ways that made you truly stop and think.

Noah was a visionary. He saw life as full of endless possibilities. A published writer and college news reporter, he also loved to draw, play music, and write original songs and stories. His passions extended to cooking and creating unique recipes, often making meals for others. Whatever captured his imagination at the moment, whether that be music, books, food, or a new idea about life, he wanted to share it with you.

But Noah was also just a big little kid. He was goofy, witty, a little crunchy, playful, and completely himself. He had a genuine smile and a contagious laugh, and he had a way of making people feel welcome and at ease. He could talk to anyone. He smiled at strangers, flashed peace signs, struck up conversations with people he had just met, and always found some small way to connect.

Noah had a big heart for serving others. From the philanthropic clubs he started in high school to serving people experiencing homelessness in Austin, he looked for ways to give back. He was generous with his time, his energy, and whatever he had. Caring and compassionate, he noticed people and made them feel that they mattered.

From a young age in Lake Travis, Noah loved playing football, basketball, and golf. As he grew older, his love of the outdoors only deepened. He took cold plunges at Barton Springs, walked barefoot across the lawn at Zilker, watched sunsets, and gazed at the stars. He sought joy and peace in life, and he wanted to share those experiences with the people he loved.

A graduate of Wimberley High School and Texas A&M University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science with honors, Noah went on to build a successful career in healthcare mergers and acquisitions. He was ambitious and talented, but his accomplishments were only one part of who he was.

The people in Noah’s life mattered deeply to him. He was known to send a random text about something he was learning, but he was also just as likely to reach out simply to make sure you were doing okay.

He married his high school sweetheart, Railie. They grew up together, sharing eight years of love and friendship. Noah loved his wife with all of his heart and often thanked God for bringing Railie into his life.

As the only living son of Jeff and Sheji Woods, he was their heart. He loved playing golf with his dad and talking with him about college football, work, and the human experience. His admiration for his father led him to follow in his footsteps into sales. He treasured the long conversations about God, faith, and philosophy that he shared with his mom. He loved his family and friends and cherished the laughter, conversations, memories, and sense of community they shared.

Noah sought God deeply and never stopped asking questions about faith, life, and what it all meant. Beneath all of his ideas, accomplishments, passions, questions, and quirks was a person who wanted to understand the world, connect with people, love deeply, entertain, serve others, and leave something good behind. He was pure at heart.

There will never be another Noah.

When you think of him, remember his smile. His laugh. His curiosity. His gentleness. His kindness. The unexpected conversation. The ridiculous joke. The idea he couldn’t stop talking about. And most of all, remember how he made you feel loved and seen.

Noah is survived by those who loved him dearly: his wife, Railie Calhoun; his parents, Jeff and Sheji Woods; his grandmother, Kunjamma Philips; his uncle and aunts, Shephi Philips, Stephanie Woods, Dana Blake, Jingle Woods, and Sapna Bandoo and her husband, Ashley; his cousins, Taylor Moore, Chase and Jake Bindeman, Jude and Rachel Philips, and Caleb and Christian Bandoo; and many other family members and friends.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Trinity Hope; his grandmother, Martha Woods; and his grandfathers, Harry Woods and K.I. “Jipson” Philips. Noah is now at peace in the presence of His Savior.

In lieu of flowers, his family asks that you consider making a donation to Mobile Loaves and Fishes or honor Noah’s memory by going out of your way to help someone else feel loved, welcomed, and seen.