Stanley (Stan) Woodman
After graduation from SHS in 1961 I entered the Navy at the end of July
and attended basic training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in
Waukegan IL. After that I was assigned to the Aircraft Mechanics School
in Memphis TN. Wow what a place that was in 1961 and 1962, for a kid
from Claremont goodness sake that was Elvis Presley's hometown. When I
went to Memphis during my stay there the city was just always abuzz
with all of the latest music blaring from all of the young peoples cars
cruising the streets. This was also my first exposure to segregation; I
was shocked to see how people of other skin color particularly African
Americans were treated. This was my first time away from Claremont into
the South; it was a real eye opener to say the least.
After graduation from service school I was assigned to the Aircraft
Overhaul and Repair Facility located at Quonset Point RI. My duties
while I was there consisted of preparing aircraft to go overseas to
support the Vietnam War effort. In addition to maintenance and repair
work I was able to fly regularly on test flights of recently overhauled
or repaired planes. In July1965 I was discharged from active duty and
my wife and six month old daughter returned to Claremont to live.
In August of 1965 I went to work for Joy Manufacturing as a machinist
and I worked until the plant was closed in 1988. While I was working
there I was active in the local union and at one time I was a member of
the negotiating committee and Vice President of the local union. In
1972 I got involved in the Joy Sullivan Credit Union and served on
various committees, served on the Board of Directors and President of
the Credit Union until 1989.
After Joy sold the plant to an investment group in 1985 I continued to
work until the plant closed. After the plant shut down in 1988, I went
to work for Claremont Savings Bank as their Facilities Manager where I
am still working today. My work there has been the most interesting job
that I have ever done. I supervise the Maintenance Staff, I oversee
tenant relations, Bank Security and most importantly I work with the
architects, contractors and vendors on all bank building projects.
We have built a new branch office on Maple Avenue, a new branch office
in Charlestown, and renovated the Washington Street branch. As everyone
knows that either lives in Claremont or has been to Claremont in the
past two years, we have built a brand new 48,000 square foot Main
Office building on Broad Street. I am particularly proud of this new
state of the art facility because I had a very involved part in
bringing this project to be what it is today
I have been working as a volunteer at Arrowhead since 2001 in an effort
to revive it and get it operational again. This has been a particularly
tough task to make happen as it did not operate for the best part of
ten years. It takes a lot of effort and volunteer workers and yes cash
to make this work. I have served as President of the Arrowhead
Recreation Club all during this time.
My wife Betty and I have been married for 32 years and we have five
children between us, eight grand children and one great grand child.
Our children range in age from 41 to 20. Our youngest daughter Moriah
is a SHS grad class of 04 and she is will be a junior at UNH's
Whittemore Business School this fall. Our family has made our home in
Unity for the past 31 years.