Former Councilman Inducted into State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame

Senator Bill Weber (R, Nanuet) has announced the posthumous induction of former Clarkstown Councilman Mark Woods Jr. into the State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame.

Woods died unexpectedly last May at the age of 54.

The induction ceremony is scheduled to take place at the New York State Capitol in Albany on Tuesday, May 27th. Woods’ wife, Jeanne Woods, will be present to accept the award on his behalf.

“Mark Woods Jr. exemplified the spirit of selfless service,” Weber said. “His dedication to his country, his community, and especially to his fellow veterans, was unparalleled. This induction into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame is the least we can do to ensure Mark’s legacy of compassion, leadership, and service will be remembered and honored.”

Woods was inspired to serve by his uncle, a Vietnam War veteran. He attended The Citadel and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Infantry. His early assignments took him to Berlin at the end of the Cold War and later to Bosnia as part of a United Nations peacekeeping mission.

After leaving active duty, Woods served as a corrections officer and border agent before joining the NYPD, where he worked on foot patrol, in the Vice Squad, and later in the elite Joint Terrorism Task Force. Following 9/11, he was recalled to active military duty and deployed to Iraq, where he served in Civil Affairs and helped rebuild civil society in conflict zones.

Following his second honorable discharge, Woods returned to the NYPD and became deeply involved in veteran advocacy. He served as Deputy Director of the Rockland County Veterans Service Agency and later as Director of the Joseph P. Dwyer Veterans Peer Support Program at BRIDGES, where he provided critical services to veterans in crisis.