Ethel A. Woodward

Ethel A. Woodward, 88, of Hamilton, NJ, passed away on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, at Greenwood House in Ewing, NJ. Born in Lower Windsor, PA, Ethel attended the Dallastown High School. In her earlier years, she babysat for many of the neighbors’ children on Mercer Street in Hamilton Square raising a crop of “adopted children” while their parents went off to work. She fundraised for Deborah Hospital hosting events and going door to door asking for contributions, instilling the value of philanthropy in her children. She made sure her children were involved in community and team activities like: Bluebirds, Indian Guides, Little League and girls’ softball. When her children were in school full time, she took tax courses and began preparing tax returns with H&R Block. Her strength was math, and she worked tirelessly for clients saving them taxes in every legitimate way possible. She taught tax classes for H&R Block every fall so a new cohort of preparers were ready for tax season. She was elevated to Supervisor at Block running the Hamilton and Robbinsville Executive tax level offices. Ethel retired in 2015 from H&R Block after more than 40 years of service. Ethel was a faithful longtime member of the Hamilton Square Baptist Church. In her spare time, she enjoyed cooking and baking including canning and freezing her own farm raised vegetables, trips to Atlantic City, spending time at her Long Beach Island, NJ shore home or on her husband George’s boat, reading romance novels, traveling, playing cards (in particular pinochle), watching baseball and spending time with family. Predeceased by her parents, Elwood M. and Cora M. (Ness) Kinard, her brothers, Ray “John” and Horace Kinard and sister, Helen Langshaw; she is survived by her husband of 64 years, George M. Woodward, Jr. of Hamilton Square; her three children, Debra McIntire and her husband, John of Yardley, PA, Sherise Ritter and her husband, George Rabito of Cream Ridge NJ, and George “Skip” M. Woodward III of Robbinsville, NJ; her seven grandchildren, Sean McIntire and his wife, Lauren of Camp Hill, PA, Shannon McIntire and her husband, Ryan Ritchey of Denver, Co, Valerie Ritter-Jones of Ewing NJ, Matthew Ritter of Wynonah, NJ, Benjamin Woodward and his wife, Ashley of Hamilton, Dana Woodward of Sea Girt, NJ, and Michael and Cassie Rabito; her three great-grandchildren, Isabella and Ashlyn McIntire and Bridgette Jones; her sister, Evelyn LaMotte of York, PA; and her many nieces and nephews. Funeral services will begin on Thursday, May 12, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. at the Saul Colonial Home, 3795 Nottingham Way, Hamilton Square, NJ. Interment will follow at Greenwood Cemetery in Hamilton, NJ. Visitation for family and friends will be held on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Saul Colonial Home. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Ethel’s memory to RWJ University Hospital Hamilton Foundation for the hospital’s “Healthy Lives Program” designed to help congestive heart failure patients receive treatment at home (1 Hamilton Health Pl, Hamilton Township, NJ 08690); or to Memorial Baptist Church in Hamilton NJ (17 Highland Ave, Hamilton Township, NJ 08620) by visiting In Memory Of at inmemof.org.