Pauline Woods: Blood donor who saved babies’ lives (From The Oxford Times)

Pauline Woods: Blood donor who saved babies’ lives

2:00pm Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Didcot

PAULINE Woods, a popular Didcot lollipop lady whose blood donations helped save the lives of hundreds of babies, has passed away, aged 68.

Mrs Woods, of Green Close, Didcot, died on January 21, just days before her 69th birthday, following lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Born in Datchet, Berkshire, in 1943, Mrs Woods, nee Gregory, moved to Didcot with her husband John in 1966.

Mrs Woods, above, worked as a cleaner and later as a lollipop lady, a position she held on and off at what is now Willowcroft School, for 35 years.

She started giving blood after two of her own daughters needed blood transfusions as babies. Over the years the keen Elvis Presley fan, whose blood was rhesus negative, donated almost 500 times, helping save the lives of hundreds of so-called ‘blue babies’.

A service was held at St Anthony’s Church in Didcot on Tuesday. Mrs Woods leaves her husband John, 70, children Paul, 49, Sue, 47, Denise, 43, and Lynn, 41, 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.