Obituary of Deborah J. Woodford PhD

Deborah J. Woodford PhD a resident of Woburn 25 years passed away at her home on June 13, 2024. Deborah grew up in Hicksville and Farmington on Long Island, New York. She attended public schools and graduated from Farmington High School, in the top 1% of her class and was elected to the National Honor Society. She then attended Colgate University on a combination of full scholarship and the New York Regents grant in one of the 1st classes to allow women into what had been a male only college. She graduated from Colgate, Magna Cum Laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa Society. She received a full fellowship, granted by the Federal Government, through what was then the National Health Administration to get her master’s and doctorate in Psychology from Syracuse University. She then went to Cleveland, Ohio to do post doctorate work at Case Western Reserve University; then to Durham, North Carolina to do additional post doctorate work at Duke University; and then to New Haven Conn. To do additional post doctorate work at Yale University. In the late 1980s, she moved to Arlington, MA to start several positions with Cambridge Hospital and their Psychology programs. Eventually she was made Vice President of Mental Health Services for North Charles as well as Clinical Director of the North Charles Mental Health Clinic Concurrently, she was an active member of the Wednesday Team that taught and instructed interns and residents in clinical psychology at Cambridge Hospital and held a faculty Appointment at Harvard Medical School where she taught medical students for many years. She was still on staff, one day a week, as a clinical psychologist at North Charles up until the time of her illness this year. Deborah is the wife of Bruce G. Raider. Sister of Steven Woodford (Christine) and Michael Woodford. Stepmother of Jeffrey Raider (Laura) and Michael Raider (Robin). She is also survived by 5 grandchildren. A visitation will be held at the Graham Funeral Home 3 Arlington Rd. (Cor. of Pleasant St.) Woburn on Saturday, June 15 from 5-7pm. A graveside service will be held on Sunday, June 16 at Sharon Memorial Park 40 Dedham St. Sharon, MA at 11:45am. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made in Deborah’s memory to the American Cancer Society 3 Speen St. Suite 250 Framingham MA 01701 www.cancer.org or North Charles Mental Health Research & Training Foundation, Inc. 54 Washburn Ave. Cambridge, MA 02140