Judge Sylvania W. Woods, Sr. 1927-1997
Judge Sylvania W. Woods, Sr., was born and educated in Georgia. He was one of seven siblings born to Andrew and Cora Woods. Their Christian home was the foundation on which he built his philosophy of respect, education, pride, humility, and honesty. It's the basic reason he lived a life as a man his family, friends, and neighbors felt was an honor to know.
Judge Woods left school in the tenth grade, at the age of 15, to join the Navy, in order to provide for his widowed mother. He served in World War II and received an honorable discharge. He completed high school requirements and enrolled at Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia. It was in Atlanta that he met his wife, Geneva Holloway, who was attending Grady Nursing School.
Judge Woods began practicing law in Washington, DC, in 1962, and in Prince George's County in 1967. The Woods family moved to Glenarden, Maryland, in 1963. From 1967- 1976, he practiced law exclusively in Prince George's County. He was appointed to the District Court of Maryland Fifth Circuit (1976-94), and Seventh Judicial Circuit (1994-97.)
