Robert A. Woods, 80, a retired founding partner in the communications law firm of Schwartz, Woods & Miller, died Dec. 22 following a long illness. A funeral service will be held Thursday morning in Bethesda, Md.
The firm handled FCC and other matters for numerous public broadcasting stations as well as for common carriers and commercial broadcasters. Woods had served as outside general counsel for the National Association of Educational Broadcasters and the Joint Council on Educational Broadcasting, which advocated the commission’s reservation of channels for educational TV in the 1950s.
Woods and Louis Schwartz started the firm in 1970. Lawrence M. Miller later became a name partner. Woods left active practice in 2001, the firm said. Schwartz died in 2004.
A native of Beverly, Mass., Woods received bachelor’s and law degrees from Harvard University.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Betty, sons Lawrence A. and Randall D., daughter Diana S. Heinze, sister Mary Buck, and four grandchildren.
A funeral service is scheduled for 10 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 29, at Robert A. Pumphrey Funeral Home, Bethesda, Md.