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She was born May 28, 1943, in Port Chester, N.Y., a daughter of John dePyester Dow Townsend "Towny" Hills and Eleanor Burrell (Hornsby) Hills. Her father was a colonel in the Air Force after graduating from West Point. Dee lived in many places during her childhood, including San Antonio; Sherman, Texas; Carmel, Calif.; Washington, D.C.; and Bethesda, Md., where she attended Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, graduating in 1961. During and after high school, she was very active in the Junior Army Navy Guild, and she worked as a Red Cross volunteer and candy striper at Bethesda Naval Hospital. She also volunteered at the Service and Sailor's Canteen. After graduation she worked as a salesgirl at Lord and Taylor before attending West Virginia Wesleyan University. She met her future husband, Paul Franklin Woods, at an inaugural ball for President John F. Kennedy in 1961. They were married in Annapolis, Md., the day he graduated from the Naval Academy in 1963. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1981. During their marriage, they were stationed in Pensacola, Fla.; Norfolk, Va.; Newport, R.I.; San Diego, Calif., Washington, D.C.; and Honolulu, Hawaii. Dee loved Hawaii and lived most of her life on Oahu. She attended the University of Hawaii and attended the school of dental hygiene, earning a bachelor of science degree with a business major in 1984. She joined the Dental Hygiene Association in 1990 and was elected to a national post and a post on the state level in 1982; and until 1984, she served as the elected president of the Hawaii Dental Hygiene Association. She received an award for most dedicated top hygienist. Dee started her career as a Dental Hygienist at Honolulu Medical Group in Honolulu. She was passionate about serving the patients and taking care of them. She was an enthusiastic activist for access to dental care in Hawaii for all people and for access to fluoride through alternatives to water fluoridation. She worked as a dental hygienist for several fine dentists in Honolulu, Kalihi, Kaneohe, Kahala, and Aiea. She is survived by three children, Paul Andrew Woods of Denver, Colo., daughter Dr. Julia Ann deForest (Woods) Karlsson of Newport, and David deForest Woods of Richmond, Va.; four grandchildren, Daniel Woods, Emily Kobayashi Woods, Nika Kroyer Karlsson and Anya Kroyer Karlsson; two siblings, Peter Hills of Denver and Susan (Hills) Coursey of Alexandria, Va.; and several nieces and nephews. Dee is also survived by a pack of loyal dogs and cats, Sterling, Banjo, Surtsey and Kiawe. She was predeceased by her sister, Ellen Klos. |
