Burldine Woods' Obituary
Burldine Woods Obituary
A graveside service honoring Burldine "Dee" Woods will be held 10 AM Tuesday, July 11, 2023 in the Bixby Cemetery. Dee passed away Tuesday evening, July 4, 2023 at the Clarehouse in Tulsa. She was 89 years old. Born June 4, 1934 on the banks of Snake Creek, just south of 101st & Memorial, Dee was the eldest daughter of Burl and Violet Potts. Dee enjoyed driving through the area, pointing out the memorable spots such as the old schoolhouse, her grandparent's home and store, as well as the hill she had to walk up on her way to school. Dee loved the Bixby area where she was raised along with her six siblings, Mary Sandra Cox, Ed Potts, Fran Goodwin, Carolyn Miller, Phyllis Matthews, and Charlotte Naten. A quick learner, Dee excelled in school and graduated at the age of 17. She was proficient in shorthand and an extremely fast typist, typing over 100 words per minute! Dee was fortunate to spend time with her aunt - who owned hotels in downtown Tulsa. She admitted to being spoiled with new dresses and trips to the movie theater. When she was younger, the porter from the hotel would wait for her outside. This always made her feel special! Dee, as she liked to be called, met and married Jerry Delane Woods. They started a family, and eventually there were three girls, Gloria Jean, Laura Angelique, and Michelle Diane. Originally starting life in the Tulsa/Bixby area, they relocated the family to California where other family lived. They enjoyed the California lifestyle of work and play. The family's weekends were spent around the pool and various visits to Disneyland and other attractions. There was always family of some kind or another around. Although the girls were happy, life was tough for Dee and Jerry. After one of their arguments, Dee left the house alone, not knowing where to go or what to do so, she asked the Lord for help. After a moment of calmness, she knew where to go......home. It wasn't long afterwards that Jerry was taken from them. He perished in a car accident, leaving Dee a widow with her three girls. Dee built a home in Bixby next door to her mother where she raised her daughters. She lived there until 1972. During that summer, Dee and her girls moved to Colorado where they stayed for 3 years before relocating back to Tulsa. They lived in various locations throughout the Tulsa area. Dee pursued a career with Rockwell International, both in California and Tulsa for over 20 years. Following her retirement, Dee enjoyed various activities such as picking up pecans with her sisters and going to the casino. She and her daughter would often take drives in the country, going out to lunch or dinner, and just enjoying spending time together. Dee was an avid reader, probably holding the library record for checked out books! Dee traveled to 26 states, loved working crossword puzzles, and following Laura via her phone as she crossed the country driving a truck. Surviving family members include by all of her siblings; daughters, Laura Woods and her wife Deb, Michelle Ridgeway and her husband, Ronnie Ridgeway; her granddaughters, Nikiyia Gordineer and her husband, Richard Gordineer, and Andrea Spiller; 12 nieces and nephews; 7 great nieces and nephews; 7 great grandchildren; and 9 great-great grandchildren. Dee was preceded in death by her parents, William Burl and Violet Mae Potts; her eldest daughter, Gloria Jean Washington; and by her great-grandson, Giovanni Delane Gordineer.
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