Thaspena Woodward, 93, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, May 17, 2026, in Fair Oaks, CA. She was born on January 24, 1933, in Minnesota and had been a longtime resident of La Grange, IL, and Fair Oaks, CA. Her parents were Kalliope (Zafiraki) Gaples and Haralambos (Kabasakal) Gaples, and she and her siblings, Delores (Gaples) Thomas and Harry Gaples, were raised in St. Cloud, MN.

Thaspena married David Woodward on August 1, 1959, and they remained married until his death on July 7, 2010.

A child of immigrant parents, she had a deep fascination with the lives they left behind and spent considerable time researching her family's history in Greece and what is now Turkey. Among her many projects was translating the Arabic on her father's Ottoman Empire passport. Thaspena was also an avid pianist and found great joy in practicing, particularly dramatic music with a strong beat.

Thaspena is survived by her nieces and nephews: Kal Peters, Karen Ross, Mark Thomas, Rebecca Gaples, and Tony Gaples.

She will be remembered for her intellectual curiosity and enduring love of music.