Ed Woods
UPDATED, Feb. 8: A funeral Mass will be said today for Edward F. Woods, the executive director of Fidelity House, the nonprofit sports and civic club that has served tens of thousands of area children for decades.
The Mass will be celebrated in St Agnes Church, Feb. 8 at 11:30 a.m. It will also be live-streamed at this link. Mr. Woods died on Jan. 31, after a brave battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and lived most of his life in Arlington. He was 69.
He attended St. Agnes School and Arlington Catholic High School, graduating in 1973, according to the published death notice. Mr. Woods graduated Boston State College, where he was the captain of the basketball team.
After graduation, he became a public school teacher in Duxbury and Norton before finding his passion as the executive director of Fidelity House, a nonprofit community center in Arlington. Passionate about youth sports, particularly basketball, Mr. Woods led the capital campaign to rebuild the Fidelity House gymnasium, a project that is ongoing.
Fidelity House – “Fiho,” as many call it – is on Medford Street in Arlington Center on the St. Agnes Parish campus. Mr. Woods was affiliated with Fidelity House for more than 40 years and served as a coach and mentor to countless young people.
Among his survivors, Mr. Woods leaves Dawn (Garrity), his wife of 50 years. Visiting hours were held in St. Agnes Church on Friday. For more information on his life and the services, see the full death notice here.
The Keefe Funeral Home handled the arrangements.
This news announcement was published Monday, Feb.3, 2025, based on information from a published death notice and published notices, and updated.
