Who she was
October 1, 1970 – December 2, 2025. Mother of four. Nurse. The anchor of the family tree.
Before there was a foundation, there was a nickname. Law — short for Lisa Ann Woods, and fitting for a woman her family describes as the only judge they ever feared. When it came time to name this work, the name was already hers.
I’m talking about that L.A.W. — yeah, she laid it down
The only judge we ever feared in every single town
L is for Lisa, the love she gave so free
A is for Ann, the anchor of the family tree
W is for Woods, the roots that made us strong
The partner in crime who taught us where we belong
Yeah, she’s the law and we just the proof
Still standing on the foundation of her absolute truth
Written by her son, Terrell M. WoodsThe open door
She raised four children and worked in the medical field as a nurse. She moved when life asked her to — and everywhere she landed, she opened the house and invited relatives to come see something new. Some of them came to visit and never left.
That is the whole thesis of this foundation, and she was running it for decades before anyone wrote it down.
Memphis over the islands
In 2005 she was given a choice between Hawaii and Memphis. She chose Memphis — because family was two hours up the road, and she wasn’t about to be an ocean away from her people.
She chose Memphis over islands, ’cause she couldn’t leave the ground
If she couldn’t drive to see her kids, then home couldn’t be found
No boats, no planes, just that drive to stay near
Keepin’ every loved one close, washin’ every single tear
She told us “when I’m gone, all you got is one another”
The final law spoken by a legendary mother
Written by her son, Terrell M. WoodsHer last words to her children are the reason the board of this foundation is her four children. The board is the wish.
Number 82
She was a die-hard 49ers fan — born in the seventies, so she loved her Jerry Rice and her Terrell Owens. Numbers 80 and 81.
When her son lined up to pick a jersey for the Digby Eagles in New Orleans, both her favorite numbers were on the table. He took 82 — the one right after them.
“I could have grabbed either one. Easy choice. My mama would have loved it. I took 82... I passed on both of my mama’s favorite numbers and took the one right after them. Close enough to honor where I came from. Far enough to be my own thing.”
Terrell M. WoodsHe was in elementary school. It is the same instinct that built everything since.
Photograph
A portrait of Lisa Ann Woods belongs on this page. The family photo set is ready — pick the one and it goes here.
More of her story
This page is built to hold more: how she raised them, the village she made, what she said. Fill it in her voice, not anyone else’s.