Charles Woodford '51

July 8,1933 - July 5, 2026

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With sadness, we report the passing of Charles Woodford '51.

Charles Humphrey Woodford of Princeton, New Jersey, passed away peacefully at his residence on Sunday, July 5, 2026. He was three days shy of his 93rd birthday.

Growing up in New York City, Charles was the son of modern dance pioneer Doris Humphrey. His childhood was filled with dancers and artists who frequently visited the family's Gramercy Park apartment, including his mother's dance partner, Charles Weidman, and her protégé and collaborator, José Limón, and his wife, Pauline Lawrence, whom Charles considered his second parents. Often accompanying his mother to performances, Charles spent his childhood traveling extensively throughout the United States and abroad by train and sea.

A lifelong Quaker, Charles attended Friends Seminary in Manhattan from K-12, graduating in 1951. After receiving a B.A. from Lafayette College in 1955, he served in the US Navy for three and a half years, as an Officer on the USS Maury.

Following an honorable discharge from the navy, he worked for Harper & Row, Publishers (now HarperCollins) as a Foreign Language Editor. During his time at Harper & Row he met his future wife Connie, who was a junior editor at the time. After they married in 1969, they settled in an old farmhouse in Somerset County, later moving to Princeton. Charles continued commuting to New York City until he founded his own publishing company, inspired by his connection to the dance world and as a tribute to his mother's legacy.

In 1976 there was a lack of literature being published on dance and few educational books for dance courses at the University level. It was in this environment that Charles launched Princeton Book Company, Publishers. During the mid-1990s, dance literacy received a significant boost in higher education as many universities introduced arts requirements for undergraduates. Dance appreciation courses proliferated, and Princeton Book Company was at the forefront of publishing the required textbooks. In addition to publishing and distributing hundreds of books and videos, Charles' own published writings include: Dance is a Moment: A Portrait of José Limón, The Vision of Modern Dance, and My Dance Family in José Limón: An Artist Re-viewed, and New Dance: Writings on Modern Dance by Doris Humphrey (editor).

A great lover of the arts, Charles frequently attended the Princeton Symphony and performances at Lincoln Center. Charles was an avid swimmer and gardener, doing both into his 90's. He leaves behind a legacy of dance history, tales of childhood adventures and his many contributions to the publishing world.

Charles' beloved wife of 57 years, Connie Woodford, predeceased him by only one month. He was also predeceased by his parents, Doris Humphrey and Captain Charles F. Woodford. He is survived by his son, John Woodford (Deborah Yautz); his daughter, Alexandra Woodford Jennings (Jeffrey Jennings); and three granddaughters, Finlay Jennings, Chloe Jennings, and Sophia Woodford.

Charles and Connie were laid to rest in Princeton Cemetery together at a private burial.