Abigail Jo     Woodhall

Abigail Jo Woodhall, 35, of Bethlehem, died at her mother’s home in Bethlehem on March 31 after a valiant and courageous battle with cancer. She was a teacher, dean of faculty, and current dean of studies at The Woodhall School, an independent school for boys in Bethlehem.

She is survived by her sister, Sarah (Alex) Hoffert of Sandy Hook; a brother, Matthew Woodhall of Bethlehem; her son, Charles Louis Reycroft, 4, and her former husband, Louis Reycroft of Bethlehem; her mother, Sally Campbell Woodhall of Bethlehem; her father, the Reverend Jonathan A. Woodhall of Raleigh, N.C.; two nephews, an aunt, and several cousins.

Born in Norwalk, she moved with her family to Bethlehem in 1983. Ms Woodhall was graduated from The Gunnery, Class of 1987, and Sarah Lawrence College, Class of 1991. She pursued graduate work at Wesleyan University.

In the summer of 1985, Ms Woodhall was selected to participate in the Center for Creative Youth (CCY) precollege program, held at Wesleyan University. She went on to work there as a creative writing instructor and residential counselor for many years.

Ms Woodhall’s teaching career embraced a variety of student groups in equally varied locales. She began teaching preschool children in Los Angeles, followed by a year in Prague, Czech Republic, where she taught English as a second language to adolescents and adults. Ms Woodhall traveled extensively in Europe and the British Isles before returning to Bethlehem and joining The Woodhall School faculty in 1993, where she taught English and art before joining the administrative team. She was known affectionately to her students as “Miss Abby.”

Ms Woodhall was a writer, diarist, and poet whose work reflected her lifelong love of words. Her poetry was published in poetry magazines. She loved gardening and culinary arts and her baking won several prizes at the Bethlehem Fair.

She was a communicant at Christ Church in Bethlehem.

Funeral services were held at St Michael’s Church, Litchfield, April 4.

Burial took place in Bethlehem Cemetery.

Arrangements were by Munson-Lovetere Funeral Home, Woodbury.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Abigail Woodhall Educational Trust that has been established at the Bank of New York for the benefit of her son, Charles Reycroft. Contributions to the trust should be mailed to trustee Sarah Woodhall Hoffert, 25 New Lebbon Road, Sandy Hook CT 06482.

The Newtown Bee        April 8, 2005