Hilda Marie Woods Friend, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and friend passed peacefully from this life at home on Sunday, March 20, 2016. She was 76 years old. Hilda was born the seventh of eight children on June 10, 1939 to Harry S. Woods and Mary Dale Dyer Woods in Cowen, West Virginia. She graduated from Cowen High School in 1958 and married her sweetheart, Harold ‘Scott’ Friend, on July 11, 1959. Shortly after marrying they moved to Seattle, Washington where they had two children, Gregory Scott and Steven Joseph. Years later they moved back to West Virginia where they had their third child, Teresa Mary.

Hilda and the children traveled across the country with Scott, who was a printer by trade, before his retirement. From 1969 to 2002 the family lived in Richmond and Woodbridge where the couple raised their children and became engaged with the community. Hilda and Scott moved to Farmville when Scott retired in 2002.

She spent her life as a homemaker, mother, and topnotch assistant to Scott in his business. She was an Eastern Star for over 50 years, and held the title of Worthy Matron, the highest title of Robert Morris, #150 OES. She was a member of Pamplin Chapter #58 in Pamplin.

Hilda will always be remembered for her ability to look for the good in people and her deep and abiding faith in God, which she shared with her husband and passed on to her children. She was always one to count her blessings, even in the midst of times of struggle. Throughout the course of her illness she often said, ‘all my life has been blessings’ and she lived out that truth every day. Hilda was very proud of her children and was deeply devoted to her husband, Scott, throughout their 56 years of marriage.

Preceding her in death are her parents, Harry and Mary Woods and her brothers, James Harry, Eugene Edward, and Homer Burton.

She is survived by her husband, Scott; her children, Gregory, Steven, and Teresa Stewart; her daughters-in-law, Teppie and Grace Ling; her son-in-law, John; her grandchildren, Amanda Lynn, Michelle Nicole Boyle and her husband, Scott, Christina Marie, Zheng Yi, Dillon Scott, Callista Mary Stewart, and Keegan Frederick, who adopted Hilda and Scott as her Mamaw and Papaw; her great-granddaughter, Ashleylynn; her sisters, Margaret Virginia Ocheltree, Dorothy Jean Riffle, and Elizabeth (Betty) Carol Hammon; her brother, Richard Cleo Woods; sisters-in-law, Ernestine Green and Barbara Little; and countless friends who will miss her deeply.

A memorial service celebrating her life will be held at Shorter Funeral Home on Friday, March 25 at 2 p.m.

Flowers may be sent but the family requests that donations be made in Hilda’s honor to The Scottish Rite Children’s Language Center, 4202 Hermitage Road, Richmond, VA 23227.

Shorter Funeral Home, Farmville, is in charge of arrangements. www.shorterfuneralhome.com