Charles Boyd Woodard, MD, 77, of Lake Charles passed away at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, July 17, 2024 in a local hospital.

Dr. Woodard was a lifelong resident of Lake Charles and was a great great-grandson of pioneer settlers, Captain and Mrs. Daniel Johannes Goos. 

An accomplished scholar and musician, Dr. Woodard attended Central School and graduated as salutatorian from Lake Charles High School in 1965.  He studied clarinet under the esteemed Maestro William Kushner and was an integral part of the Lake Charels High School band, which achieved first place in the National Cherry Blossom Festival Band Competition in District of Columbia.

His musical talents extended beyond high school as he toured the United States and Canada with the USA Band and Chorus and was a proud member of Kappa Kappa Psi honorary band fraternity.  

He pursued higher education at Louisiana State University (LSU) as a National Merit Scholar.  For two years he was a member of the Golden Band from Tigerland.  He was a member of the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity where he earned the Mr. Delt Award for outstanding achievement.  Dr. Woodard was also active with the Student Government Association where he coordinated campus speaker events.  

After graduating from the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans, Dr. Woodard served as a research assistant under Dr. Marylin Zimny, focusing on hibernation studies.  He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Va.  He then furthered his expertise as a Fellow in Cardiology at Baylor College of Medicine and The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas under the mentorship of Dr. Michael DeBakey, and collaborated with Dr. James K. Alexander on research into obesity heart disease.

Returning to his roots in Lake Charles, Dr. Woodard joined his father’s Medical Arts Group, where he served as managing partner for 22 years.  His dedication to his profession was recognized through his fellowship in the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.  

In addition to his professional achievements, Dr. Woodard dedicated significant time to researching the genealogy of Captain Daniel Goos.  He was an active member of St. Margaret Catholic Church and was especially devoted to the ACTS community, where he held various leadership roles.  

Those left to cherish his memory are his loving wife of 30 years, Karen Robison Woodard of Lake Charles; children, Carey Blevins (Paul) of Lake Charles, Lindsey Gotreau of Denver, Colo., and Logan Gotreau (Ashbrooke) of Sulphur; siblings, James “Jimmy” Woodard (Rachelle) of Covington and Elizabeth “Susie” Woodard of Houston; grandchildren, Margaret and Max Blevins and Scarlette and Banks Gotreau, and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Elizabeth and Dr. Boyd Woodard and twin grandbabies, Roman and Carter Gotreau.

The family wishes to express a special thank you to all of the doctors and nurses on the second floor at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital and also to the ICU staff for their exceptional care given to Dr. Woodard.

A funeral mass will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 26, 2024 at St. Margaret Catholic Church.  Father Long will officiate.  Burial will follow in Goos Cemetery in Lake Charles under the direction of Johnson Funeral Home.  Visitation will begin on Thursday from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. with a rosary being recited at 6 p.m.  Visitation will resume on Friday from 11 a.m. until leaving for the church at 1:30 p.m.

Words of comfort to the family may be expressed at www.johnsonfuneral home.net.