Dexter & Gini Woodman never lost touch with their community and its young people. Both were known to be kind and generous individuals. When young people came to Dexter looking for jobs, he would make sure he found one for them. Woodman’s became more like a home for many of the young men and women who worked here and have gone on to succeed in various professional careers carrying with them lessons learned from working at Woodman's and the man who gave them that first opportunity. When former employees would return to Woodman's, they would be greeted by Dexter, who truly enjoyed hearing about their accomplishments since their time working at the restaurant. He loved nothing more than when they shared their memories of their working days at Woodman’s. Dexter Woodman passed away in 1987 and since then, scholarships to assist young people to attend college are awarded to honor his legacy and memory. After Gini Woodman passed away in 2011, it seemed only fitting to include her name to celebrate their devotion to each other, their community and helping young people succeed. In 2013, we celebrated 25 years of giving with the awarding of the newly named Mr. & Mrs. L. Dexter Woodman Scholarship. 2023 will mark 35 years of giving, we are proud to announce that once again we have renamed our organization to the
L. Dexter Woodman Family Foundation and will continue giving to students and organizations supporting education & children.
Students currently attending Manchester Essex Regional High School are eligible to apply for the Mr. & Mrs. L. Dexter Woodman Scholarship, applications are available at the school. In addition, students may apply through the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, the Essex Lions Club and the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, as well as the Woodman's Employee scholarships. Contact those organizations directly for applications.
Since inception, $846,999 in scholarships has been awarded to 186 local students and organizations:
- Manchester Essex Regional high school seniors
- Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce
- Massachusetts Restaurant Association
- Campbell High School, Litchfield, NH
- Woodman’s of Essex Employee College Students
- Supporter of 25 North Shore Chamber of Commerce Honors Scholars
- Sponsorship of Prep@Pingree
- Sponsorship of Root NS, Inc.
- Cape Ann Kids Fund through Action, Inc.


Donations Have Been Made in Memory of:
Sponsors:
- Merrimack Valley Distributors
- Leslie S. Ray Insurance Agency, Inc.
- Coca Cola Bottling Company
Donations are accepted here or by mail to L. Dexter Woodman Family Foundation P.O. Box 81 Essex, MA 01929
scholarship@woodmans.com ldexterwoodmanfamilyfoundation.org
We thank you in advance for your support.
TAX EXEMPT# 222-925975
2023 Donations Made By:
- WM Kelleher Associates, LLC