Amesbury - George "Tedda" Woodsom completed a magnificent journey of 95 years exactly as it began: on his birthday. He passed away peacefully on January 7, 2026, surrounded by family. While the final months were a challenge, George's epic strength allowed him to remain on the land he spent nearly a century cultivating until almost the very end.

As the only boy in a large and bustling family on Woodsom Farm, George grew up surrounded by the love and care of his family and many sisters. He was a living archive of the farm's history, possessing an enormous wealth of knowledge about how the land was worked and how the community of Amesbury thrived and grew. A man who held deep reverence for tradition, George didn't just witness history; he was a pillar of it.

George was an engineer at heart with an insatiable curiosity for how things worked. There was truly nothing he couldn't fix or improve with his hands. His mechanical mind fueled his life on the dairy farm, where he dedicated endless hours to caring for the animals and maintaining the equipment essential for haying the fields and keeping the farm and buildings running. His passion for all things mechanical extended to his other interests as well, from his early love of automobiles as an original founder of the Cam Snappers Club of Newburyport, to his lifelong pursuit of photography. A longtime member of the Greater Lynn Camera Club, George was an expert in the darkroom, winning many ribbons for prints he developed by hand.

His skills also reached far beyond the farm's borders; he held a pilot's license, for a time owned and flew his own plane, and was an avid boater. His impact on the local landscape was literal as well; because the farm owned one of the first backhoes in town, George spent many hours throughout Amesbury from the 1950s through the 1970s operating the machinery on projects that helped shape the community. He was also a master woodworker, creating priceless pieces that will serve as a lasting testament to his skill and patience.

When the farm land was eventually sold to the Town of Amesbury, George's work did not end - it simply evolved. After decades of farming seven days a week, he spent his "retirement" years as the land's most devoted steward. Into his early nineties, he spent countless hours on his tractor, mowing miles of trails to ensure the farm remained a beautiful, walkable sanctuary for the entire community.

While he was a man of many talents, George's best quality was the humble, profound love he had for his family and friends. He was immensely proud of every member of his family and cherished every friendship he fostered, including the many hours spent on the Newburyport Boardwalk in his later years, where his kind spirit drew people to him. He was a man of deep humility who appreciated every person and every experience life offered.

George was predeceased by his parents, Jewell Woodsom and Stella (Gallagher) Woodsom, beloved wife, Beverly (Perkins) Woodsom, and his sisters, Ruth Twomey, Harriet Gould, Anna Santoro, Helen MacBurnie, Eleanor Dugrenier, and Marjie Sicard. He leaves behind his dear friend and companion, Tucky Dube, who was his love and light for his last many years, his children, who were his pride and joy: Patty Mellon and her husband Mike; Ashley Woodsom and his wife, Susan; and Bob Woodsom and his wife Cheryl. He also leaves his greatest treasures, his grandchildren: Alexa Durbin and her husband Jack, Katie Mellon, Evan Woodsom and his fiance, Gabriella Scarpelli, Adam Woodsom, Olivia Woodsom, Tori Woodsom, and Brooke Woodsom. He is also survived by his beloved sisters, Mary Dugrenier and Sally Anderson, and countless nieces and nephews who will always remember "Uncle Tedda" and the memories they shared at the farm.

George's legacy of hard work and love for the land is now marked by a bench at the top of the hill overlooking the fields he loved so dearly - a place of peace for the community he quietly served for 95 years.

Please join us for a Celebration of Life this Saturday, January 10, at Sea Glass, 4 Ocean Front North in Salisbury, MA. We invite you to drop in at your convenience between 1 and 4 p.m. For those who wish to attend, a dedicated remembrance ceremony and public sharing of stories will take place from 1 to 2 p.m., followed by an informal open house for the remainder of the afternoon.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the charity George was most proud to support: The Tough Warrior Princesses, P.O. Box 643, Amesbury, MA 01913

https://toughwarriorprincess.com/donate.