A Family Rooted in Love: The Woods Family of Fredericksburg
Photo by Karen Presecan
In the peaceful community of Fawn Lake, Gary and Toni Woods have found something more valuable than all the beautiful places they’ve lived throughout their 57-year marriage: proximity to family. After decades of moves—from San Francisco to San Diego, Hawaii to Hilton Head Island—the couple made their most meaningful relocation, or “permanent change in station (PCS),” in 2024, settling just minutes from their son, Peter; daughter-in-law, Lyndsay; and grandsons, Matty and Tyler.
“Family is everything,” Toni explains simply. The timing felt almost fated: Peter and Lyndsay purchased their Fredericksburg home just one month before Gary and Toni closed on their Fawn Lake property. For a family that has weathered profound loss and persevered, it was a moment that deepened their appreciation for togetherness.
A Love Story Spanning Decades
Gary and Toni’s romance began with a chance encounter on a San Francisco staircase in the late 1960s. “I was going up while he was coming down,” Toni recalls. “He asked if we could go on a date, and the rest is history! I even told my roommate, ‘I just met the guy I’m going to marry.’”
They married in June 1968, and their life together has been marked by adventure, resilience, and an unshakeable bond. Toni, a 1966 UConn graduate with a degree in political science, built a diverse career shaped by Gary’s frequent job transfers, including social work in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District, real estate in San Diego and Hawaii, and pharmaceutical sales, which she favored. Gary attended UCLA before joining the Navy, then spent decades in the security field, eventually serving as VP of sales for a nationally recognized security company before retiring around 2010.
The couple experienced unimaginable tragedy when they lost two sons, Gregory and Matthew, at just 13 and 12 years old, in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. Just 16 months later, in October 1988, Peter was born—a light in their darkest time.
The Next Generation Plants Roots
Peter and Lyndsay met in 2009 and became college sweethearts at the University of South Carolina. “Our life together has been full of adventure, with military moves taking us from South Carolina to California, Japan to North Carolina, and finally here to Virginia, where we proudly call Fredericksburg home,” Lyndsay shares.
After commissioning as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in 2013, Peter served in all three active duty Marine Aircraft Wings, leading detachments in six countries from Norway to Japan and earning the prestigious designation as a C3 Weapons & Tactics Instructor. Upon his honorable discharge as a Major in 2024, he—like many former service members—transitioned to contract government work.
Lyndsay’s own journey took an unexpected turn during their time in Japan. “My career path shifted from property management and pharmaceutical sales to fitness when we moved overseas,” she explains. Today, she owns S.L.A.M. Sweat Like a Mother Quantico, a fitness community designed for moms to balance motherhood with self-care and community, affectionately nicknamed “SLAMily.”
“I’m also beginning to expand my fitness offerings to the active senior community, keeping not only moms moving, but my own mom as well.” Their sons, Matty (Matthew Gregory, named after his late uncles) and Tyler, keep busy with soccer through Grassroots Spotsylvania and fishing at “Grammy and Gramps’ house.”
Finding Home in Virginia
For Peter and Lyndsay, Virginia represents the end of a long journey. “The favorable blend of outdoor activities, all four seasons, and the proximity to the nation’s capital is fantastic,” says Peter. “I am finally close to both of my brother’s families who live in Orange and outside Philadelphia,” adds Lyndsay.
For Lyndsay, who lost her father to multiple sclerosis in 2024 after his three-decade battle with the disease, the community support has been invaluable. “My dad told me to ‘keep those girls moving’ when I said goodbye—at first, I thought he meant my SLAM moms, but over time I realized he meant my own mom as well. It’s inspired me to ensure moms and seniors stay active and connected.” The family participates annually in the MS Walk in Fredericksburg, finding strength in both family and their “SLAMily.”
Peter stays most active training with the family Jack Russell Terrier, Ramsay, and coaching youth sports. He just finished the fall football season as the Defensive Coordinator for the 11U Spotsylvania Cougars, and is excited to coach the same squad next year at the 12U level. He is also volunteering with his sons’ soccer league with Spotsylvania Grassroots. Meanwhile, his father Gary—the self-taught, jack-of-all-trades—can often be spotted outside his Fawn Lake home working on landscaping and remodeling projects.
Toni has found her community through Fawn Lake’s garden and book clubs, while Gary participates in the Veterans Group. “Fawn Lake is really beautiful,” Toni notes. “It’s the nicest place in the area after living in gorgeous places such as Hilton Head Island, Hawaii, and San Diego.”
“Living close to my grandchildren, son, and daughter,” Toni says of what she enjoys most about the area. It’s a simple answer that speaks volumes about what matters most to the Woods family: being together—and staying active, connected, and engaged at every stage of life.
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If you’re interested in joining S.L.A.M. Sweat Like a Mother Quantico, feel free to reach out to Lyndsay at slamquantico@sweatlikeamother.com and follow along on Instagram @s.l.a.m.quantico. S.L.A.M. Sweat Like a Mother Quantico exists to remind moms they don’t have to do motherhood, or fitness, alone.
