William Ryan Woods passed away on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, in Columbia, Missouri. Ryan was born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on June 27, 1975. He grew up in Cape Girardeau, MO, and graduated from Cape Central High School in 1993. Ryan attended the United States Military Academy at West Point from 1993 to 1995 and graduated from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 1997.

Ryan went to work for Colliers Turley Martin real estate firm out of college and made a career in commercial real estate ultimately owning several real estate companies in St. Louis, MO.

Ryan was preceded in death by his father, William Earl "Bill" Woods.

Ryan is survived by his mother Bonnie Hurley Woods of Columbia, MO, his siblings Jason Woods (Jenny) of St. Louis, MO, and Amy (Adam) Jennings of Columbia, MO. Ryan had six nephews/nieces--Emily Jennings, Wyatt Jennings, Caroline Jennings, Connor Woods, Tyler Woods, and Evelyn Woods.

Ryan was a devoted brother and uncle, and a very compassionate and generous man with a unique sense of humor.

The family will receive friends from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m., Sunday, December 11, 2022, at the McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston, MO.

Graveside services will immediately follow at the I.O.O.F. Cemetery near Charleston.

Online condolences may be shared at www.mcmiklefuneralhome.com

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Barnes-Jewish Children's Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.

"He Only Takes the Best"

God saw he was getting tired,
And a cure was not to be,
So he put his arms around him,
And whispered "Come with me."
With tearful eyes we watched him suffer,
And saw him fade away,
Although we love him dearly,
We could not make him stay.
A golden heart stopped beating,
Hard working hands to rest,
God broke our hearts to prove to us,
He only takes the best.
Although his heart stopped beating,
His love will always remain,
His absence puts upon our hearts,
A very heavy strain.
For now he is in a place of everlasting rest,
We just have to understand that God,
He only takes the best.