Obituary of Marvell Woods

Marvell Collins Woods was a cherished and loving son, husband, father, and brother.

Collins, as his family affectionately calls him, spent his formative years in Chicago, Illinois where he was born on September 22, 1961. He came to know the Lord and served as an alter boy at a young age. He attended St. Carthage Elementary and Mendel Catholic High School.

He loved music and played the alto and baritone saxophones, lettering in the high school marching, jazz, and orchestra bands. He worked throughout summers and visited family in summer in his parent's hometown of Memphis, TN. He attended Shaw University in Raleigh, N.C. and majored in Mass Communications- Radio, Television and Film. He interned in radio at the campus station and at WQDR FM, and was known as the popular 'Woods on the Weekend'. He was a member of several honor societies and was selected as a member of 'Who's Who Among American College Students' while in school. While attending Shaw he met his wife, Priscilla. Upon graduating in 1984 and entering the corporate world, he began his career in Atlanta, Ga. and they soon moved to Lenexa, KS. It was onward and upward for this industrious young man, as he was given increasing responsibility, meanwhile working to earn a Masters degree in Business from Webster University. Marvell was employed with several corporations and his family was often transferred and lived in different markets throughout the U.S. He was a loyal and dedicated family man, church and community leader, and generously contributed to many charities, churches and foundations.

As Marvell moved through life and the corporate world, his belief and faith in God deepened while he attended World Changers Church in Atlanta for 12 years, and as their family was transferred to N.C., and began attending Kings Park Int'l Church in Durham a year ago.

Marvell was employed with Starbuck's Coffee Company and served as Regional Director of Operations. He had a dedicated work ethic, receiving numerous awards throughout his career. He was named Lead Director in recognition of achieving excellence in leadership and performance; won quarterly and annual awards for Best Region; he was 1 of 4 to ever receive Starbuck's Q'1 2008 Best Performing Region Award; he received the company's highest honor by being awarded the Orin Smith President's Award in 2005 for his performance in leading the entire organization in Louisiana and Mississippi recovery efforts from Hurricane Katrina, and remained on his birthday to work during Hurricane Rita's evacuation; he won awards for achieving millions of dollars to budget; he was also a visiting lecturer on college campuses. In his work with other companies to include Coca Cola, Quaker Oats, Tropicana, Pepsi, Merisant and Monsanto, he was awarded for his work in business development, executive management development, business ownership, and has received numerous awards and merits for mentoring, leadership, performance assessment and critical guidance and feedback.



Marvell had wisdom those who knew him sought out, a wonderful sense of humor he was known for, a very kind heart, was a deep-thinker, movie buff, and music collector. He is sincerely missed and will always be sincerely cherished and deeply loved by his family.

Marvell's father, Marvell Woods Jr. is deceased. He leaves to cherish his memory his mother Mary Woods of Memphis, TN.; his wife Priscilla, and children, Collins and Rachel of Wake Forest, N.C.; his sister, Elisa R. Woods of Atlanta, Ga., and his brother Jerry A. Woods, wife Angela and children Megan, Grace and Joy of Ft. Worth, TX. He has five aunts and three uncles, parents-in-law, brothers and sisters-in-law, aunts and uncles-in-law; and a host of cousins, nephews, nieces and friends.