Kizziah Velona Bodden Woods

Kizziah Velona Bodden Woods, 86, of Groves passed away on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at Harbor Hospice House in Beaumont, Texas.
Velona, as she was known to her friends and family, was born on August 25, 1938, to Verna Eglantine and Capt. Thomas Bennie Bodden, in Georgetown, Grand Cayman, B.W.I. Even though she was the third child of 4 children, she was the first child to be born in the waterfront family home that was built by her father on North Church Street, a fact of which she was very proud.
She and her beloved, Arthur, were married on June 8, 1961, in Elmslie Presbyterian Church on North Church Street. They resided in Cayman until 1963 when they moved to Port Arthur, Texas. In 1970, they moved to Groves where they bought their first home and raised their family.
In her youth, she enjoyed playing her guitar and singing to passers-by while sitting on her parents’ porch. In her later years, Velona enjoyed doing 'handwork' such as crocheting, embroidery, cross-stitch, and plastic canvas. Many of her friends were the recipients of her original creations.
She was also a talker and she couldn't go anywhere without someone saying, "I LOVE your accent! Where are you from?" and that was all the impetus she needed to tell you about her "homeland" and her memories of her beloved isle, Cayman.
Velona loved spending time with her family, especially her long-awaited and most treasured grandchildren, "the twins", Caasi and Isaac. They were the absolute light and joys of her life and being their 'Noni' was her beloved title. She never missed a recital, MMA Belt Test, or any other activity they participated in until her health precluded it.

Her love of music remained almost until the end, and she would often sing along to the radio in the house or car. When she was no longer able to drive herself, she still looked forward to what she called “her little rides” and she was always a willing passenger. She also continued to enjoy sitting on the porch for hours on end, up until the time of her passing.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Arthur Montgomery Woods; her brother-in-law Norman Edgar Woods; her sister Ethel Wood Clifton; her brothers Vallee Bodden and Clericy Bodden; and her beloved nephews, Lenny Wood and Tommy Wood.
Those left to cherish Velona's memory are her daughter, Sheila Woods and her husband, Steven Sleeman of Groves; her son, John Woods and his fiancee, Kelly McLane of Groves; her granddaughter, Caasi Avelon Sleeman and her fiance Tyler Hermes of Houston; her grandson, Isaac Montgomery Sleeman of Groves; and her special niece, Verna "Muffet" Rutherford and husband, Cal, of Port Arthur. We will do our best to try to exemplify and carry on the legacy, examples and lessons taught to us by our irreplaceable Momma, Noni and Aunt.
A graveside service will be held on Monday, December 9, 2024, at 2:00 PM at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Groves.
The family wishes to thank Harbor Hospice for their loving, compassionate and attentive care throughout her lengthy illness, especially her home nurse, Alisa.