Memorial Service to Honor Beloved Arizonan Grant Woods to be Held Friday

By Rose Law Group Reporter

(PHOENIX) On Friday, November 12^th, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. family, friends, city and state leaders, dignitaries and the community will come together for a Celebration of Life to honor and remember Beloved Arizonan Grant Woods at the Orpheum Theatre located at 203 West Adams in downtown Phoenix. 

Woods, a former Arizona Attorney General, accomplished trial lawyer and aspiring playwright passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, October 23^rd, 2021.

The services are open to the public with limited capacity. The Plaza Parking Garage on First Avenue has been designated for public parking for the memorial service. All guests are required to wear masks and be seated by 9:45 a.m. Once capacity is met, overflow guests will be invited to listen to the services in the atrium/plaza area in front of the theatre or they can watch the LIVE Stream of the services at https://www.grantwoodslaw.com.

Pastor Warren H. Stewart, Sr. of the First Institutional Baptist Church in Phoenix will officiate the service. Stewart served as the Campaign Chairman for the successful drive to establish a paid Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday in Arizona in 1992, an effort Woods supported.  

The First Institutional Baptist Church Worship Team, Nils Lofgren, Walter Richardson, Al Ortiz, Michael Nitro and Deborah Lippmann will provide the music for the service. 

Woods is survived by his wife Marlene Galan Woods and sons Austin, Cole, Dylan, and daughters Lauren and Ava.

Marlene Galan Woods will pay tribute alongside his three sons and two daughters. Charles Barkley and Cindy McCain will serve as the eulogists.

“The continued outpouring of love and help for our family after Grant’s shocking passing has been extraordinary. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. My children and I are forever grateful for the kindness and love we have been graced with by so many friends. I’m still in shock. I can’t see the bottom of my grief, but I am comforted by the beautiful things I read that people say about Grant. He was loved by so many. And in the past few days I’ve been fortunate to tell a few of his close friends how much he loved them. Grant was bigger than life. He loved with enormous passion. He loved Arizona, he loved this country, his friends and most of all his family. We will honor this uniquely gorgeous man in a way he deserves,” said Marlene Galan Woods. 

Woods served Arizona with few equals. He was John McCain’s first Chief of Staff upon McCain’s elections to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982. Eight years later he became Arizona’s Attorney General at the age of 36. Re-elected in 1994 with 80% of the vote Wood’s legacy will be one of a Republican who stood for environmental and consumer protection and civil rights. Indeed, he helped pioneer a landmark national settlement with the nation’s tobacco companies that changed health care in America and saved countless lives. More recently, Woods has been an independent political voice reminding us all what it means to put state and country before party or self-interest. His stirring eulogy of his friend, mentor and U.S. Senator John McCain, alongside President Biden will be remembered for both its power, and humility.  

More recently, Woods dove more vigorously into his life-long passion of writing and producing plays and musicals, several of which were and are set to emerge on big stages.  

In lieu of flowers – the Woods’ family requests that donations be made to the Boy’s and Girl’s Club of the Valley. Those interested may do so at https://www.bgcaz.org/grant-woods/. 

To enhance the safety and security for all attending the Celebration of Life services, bags, backpacks and purses including wallets, wristlets and clutches must be no larger than 5”x 8” x 1” to be permitted inside the Orpheum Theatre. Exceptions: Medical equipment bags, diaper bags and media bags.

For media inquiries please contact Jennifer Parks-Sturgeon at (480) 495-3806 or jparks-sturgeon@rosemoserallynpr.com.