Mayor's Statement – Passing of Mayor Bill Woods
Published on December 13, 2022
Before we begin our meeting, I would like to read a brief statement on behalf of the Council about the passing of longtime Kirkland leader, former Mayor Bill Woods.
It is hard to put into words just how much Bill has shaped Kirkland into the amazing community it is today.
Our beloved waterfront parks, our renowned Kirkland Performance Center, our thriving downtown business core, our highly productive government – these mainstays of Kirkland didn’t just happen. They happened because of Bill’s unparalleled leadership, vision, and deep commitment to public service.
A veteran of World War II, Bill moved to Kirkland in 1953. He worked professionally as a pharmacist for decades, where he was a well-known anchor of our business community. He was extremely active in the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce and served on the board and as chair for many years. He was one of the founding members of the Kirkland Downtown Association. Like so many of our past and current councilmembers, Bill started in city leadership by serving on one of the City’s boards or commissions. He joined the Park Board in 1964, became a Councilmember the following year, then ran for mayor in 1966. Bill served as mayor for the next 8 years.
During that time, Bill oversaw the annexation of Houghton and helped the city transition to the council-manager form of government. He led the effort to acquire large amounts of waterfront for the city for parks, leveraging funds by Lady Byrd Johnson’s initiative to preserve natural lands for the public.
After retiring from formal public service, Bill spent years fundraising to make the Kirkland Performance Center a reality.
The list of his community leadership roles goes on and on. Kirkland as a community and as a government are better because of Bill’s unmatched service.
Bill passed away on December 7 at the age of 97. A true civic luminary, Bill’s legacy will forever be embedded in the fabric of our community.
On behalf of this full Council: you will be missed, Bill. Thank you for dedicating so much of your life to making Kirkland a better place.