Oliver "Ollie" Harris Woods

Oliver †˜Ollie†™ Harris Woods II entered this world on August 13, 1923, in Montrose, Colorado, born to Oliver Harris Sr. and Grace (Whaley) Woods. Ollie had a total of four brothers and two sisters. The Woods family is first generation Colorado native as Ollie†™s grandparents homesteaded Colorado from Missouri. As a boy Ollie worked on the family farm near Norwood, Colorado where they raised wheat and oats. After high school Ollie enlisted in the Navy and served in World War II. At that time the Woods family had 4 brothers and 1 sister serving in WWII with all of them surviving. From 1946 †" 1949 Ollie enrolled at Colorado A&M (CSU) and competed in athletics. In track & field he set the school†™s pole vault record and won the conference. In football Ollie Woods played in CSU†™s first ever bowl game †" the 1948 Raisin Bowl in California. Ollie held the school record for 50 years for the most punt return yards held in one game; his record was recently broken. Ollie wrestled - 155 pounds and was undefeated his last year when he wrestled Iowa State†™s national runner up late in the season. Ollie tore up his knee causing him to lose the match and ended his athletic career at CSU. In 2008 Ollie Woods was inducted into the CSU Hall of Fame for being all conference in three sports. Ollie received his teaching degree in Physical Education with a minor in Biology and Social Studies. Ollie Woods met Maxine Lumsden after college on a double blind date, but Ollie was paired with Maxine†™s friend and Ollie†™s friend was paired with Maxine. But with Ollie and Maxine being teachers and having similar interests it didn†™t take long for them to start dating. They eloped on December 24th, 1953 in Raton, New Mexico. Ollie and Maxine had four children Lorrie Jo, Amy Lou, Kerry Grace, and Oliver Harris III (Chip). Ollie had a successful career as a high school and college coach and professor. He coached several state high school championship teams in football and his colligate wrestling team finished 11th at nationals. Ollie then took a break from coaching and he and Maxine bought the Biglow Ranch on the Frying Pan River in Aspen County and they operated a dude ranch for several years. In 1963 Ollie returned to coaching and moved his family to Gunnison, Colorado where Ollie enjoyed a successful coaching and teaching career at Western State College (WSC). This was recognized by WSC in 1998 when he was inducted into their sports hall of fame for his coaching accomplishments. He is the only coach at WSC to coach 2 conference championship teams in two different sports †" football and golf. In addition, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference recognized Ollie in 2009 to be part of the All-Century team as the best golf coach in the conference over a 100-year period. Ollie is preceded in death by his wife Maxine and his daughter Amy Lou. He is survived by his daughter Lorrie Jo, his daughter Kerry Brink and her husband Jim and their daughter Hannah, and his son Chip and his wife Kelly and their children Mikayla and Olivia. Two memorials have been established in Ollie Woods†™s name. The WSC Sport Foundation where an athletic scholarship will be named in his honor and the Ollie Woods Athletic Scholarship Fund at CSU. In lieu of flowers or gifts the family is asking to please make donations to one or both of these memorials. Birth: Aug 13, 1923, Montrose, Colorado Death: Oct 9, 2011, Denver, Colorado