COMMUNITY | BIRTHDAY FEATURE
October 10, 2026 | The Utica Phoenix
By Michelle LaGuerre
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – For Susan Woods, her birthday on Saturday, Oct. 10, was more than a personal milestone. It was an opportunity to reconnect with family, return to the church of her childhood and celebrate a legacy of faith that spans generations.
Woods gathered with relatives at Hopkins Chapel AME Zion Church in Asheville, North Carolina, where she and family members worshiped as children and where their grandparents were longtime members. Loved ones traveled from California, Georgia, Alabama and Ohio for the reunion.
The gathering honored the memory of the family’s grandmother, Mrs. Lucille Fields, who belonged to Hopkins Chapel for more than 85 years. Fields was the church’s oldest living member when she died in 2010 at age 105.
The family’s wide span of generations was reflected in two relatives: Tonald Jackson, the grandparents’ oldest grandson, who recently turned 80, and Shiloh Jackson, a 3-month-old great-great-grandchild born on July 4, 2026. Their presence connected the family’s history with its newest generation.
Woods is known in the Mohawk Valley for her dedication to faith-based activities and community service. She founded the Women of Worship Awards, a celebration recognizing women whose faith, leadership and service make a difference. She is also associated with St. Matthew’s Temple and is the wife of Doc Woods.
Her past professional service included work as director of development and communications at the Rescue Mission of Utica. Woods has also been recognized with Mohawk Valley Community Action’s Treva Wood Community Activist Award for her contributions to the community.
The birthday celebration brought those commitments full circle. Surrounded by loved ones in a church that shaped her family for decades, Woods marked the occasion by honoring the people, values and traditions passed down through generations.
