Baking pioneer Woods dies at 81

Jack Woods, a 2006 inductee into the Minnesota Bakers Hall of Fame, died Sunday at his Wacouta home.

His grandson, Bill Hanisch, remembered Woods as a pioneering baker with a penchant for storytelling and a devotion to his family.

"In this industry, you've got to have a strong family," said Hanisch, co-owner of Hanisch Bakery. "I think (Woods) would be a perfect example of that."

Hanisch nominated Woods for the hall of fame distinction in 2006, saying he "dedicated his life to the baking field."

The U.S. army veteran and Indiana native came to Minnesota in the 1950s, where he attended Dunwoody Institute and worked at General Mills.

Woods became an innovator of frozen pie dough and founded the Twin Cities-based bakery Pappy Foods Inc. In a 2006 interview with the R-E, Woods said Pappy Foods was the first company in Minnesota to produce frozen pie dough crust.

"He made the best," Hanisch said. "That's the one thing I always heard about his product."

Hanisch noted that some of Woods' old recipes are still used today at his bakery in downtown Red Wing.

"They are very good recipes," he said. "To me, that's cool."

Woods' career in the baking industry left long-lasting memories he was eager to share.

"He would talk your ear off," Hanisch said with a laugh.

Woods always stressed that bakers need to save a special smile and greeting for their littlest customers - the ones eyeing cookies and cakes. That credo was, "Take care of the kids."

Hanisch said the outgoing personality that aided Woods as a businessman shone just about everywhere. He recalled a trip in the 1990s to River Falls, where the Kansas City Chiefs used to spend training camp.

Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana was on the team at the time and Woods had no reservations about introducing himself.

"He went right up to Joe Montana like he knew the guy," Hanisch recalled. "That's just the way he was."

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