Woody Harrell

Haywood Stephen Harrell was a man of adventure, wisdom, and unwavering love. Born on July 22, 1947, in the South’s warm embrace, Haywood—known affectionately as Woody—departed this world on December 10, 2024, in Corinth, Mississippi, surrounded by the family he cherished. He was born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, the second son of Elijah Copeland Harrell and Iola Gibbs Hathaway Harrell. Brother Herb, nine years older, dubbed Woody “Little Fella.” They forged a close bond that included daily phone calls and a mutual passion for Civil War history and Duke basketball.

Professionally, Woody was a historian, a storyteller, and a preserver of legacies. Through his 40-year career with the National Park Service, he brought the past alive for countless visitors, whether portraying Orville Wright at Wright Brothers National Memorial or guiding others through the storied fields of Civil War battlefields. His efforts ensured history remained vivid and accessible, inspiring all who heard his tales.

While serving at the Wright Brothers information desk on a busy Memorial Day in May 1975, Woody met the love of his life, Cynthia Buzzard, who had just arrived as a summer intern. Woody often posted “my future wife came to Kitty Hawk looking for Mr. Wright,” to which friends replied, “She found him; a match made in heaven.” Seven months later, on December 27, 1975, soon after she graduated from Penn State, they married.

Throughout 49 years of marriage, they pursued countless common interests. In April 2012, two days after Woody retired from the Park Service, the couple began an epic 2184-mile Appalachian Trail thru-hike from Georgia to Maine. With a spirit of curiosity and resilience and the help of countless friends and National Park Service colleagues along the way, they completed the journey 168 days later. Throughout that trek and their marriage Woody and Cynthia shared a bond as enduring as the mountains they climbed together.

Caught up in the long-distance running fervor of the 1970s, Woody’s accomplishments were extraordinary. He ran the 1975 Boston Marathon in an impressive 2:36:27, a testament to his discipline and tenacity. Ultimately, he completed 18 marathons from his first in Virginia Beach in 1973 to his last, the Coast Guard Marathon in his birthplace Elizabeth City in March 2023. Cynthia began running “just to keep Woody company.” By the time they ran the Coast Guard Marathon together they had run dozens of marathons worldwide and countless shorter races in tandem.

A proud alumnus of Duke University, Woody embodied the intellect and passion of a Blue Devil. An ardent basketball fan, he often proclaimed, "Duke basketball... It's not a matter of life or death, it's much more important than that." His devotion to his alma mater epitomized his zeal for life’s pursuits. Such was his devotion, he rarely mentioned his master’s degree from the University of North Carolina, Duke’s archrival.

Woody, an introvert who hid it well, did not boast of his many accomplishments and talents. Just before he retired, though, he was recognized on the floor of the U.S. Senate by the late Senator Thad Cochran whose remarks are recorded in the Congressional Record of March 20, 2012. He credited “Superintendent Harrell as the visionary force in planning and constructing the award-winning Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center. Even before the advent of the Internet, Harrell conceived the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, an idea that has grown into a searchable electronic database with 6.2 million records on Civil War veterans.” Cochran concluded, “Superintendent Harrell’s career with the National Park Service has been marked with unprecedented accomplishments and is a superb legacy.” Woody was also honored in a Joint Resolution of the House and Senate of Tennessee “to recognize Woody Harrell on the occasion of his retirement.” The resolution, sponsored by state representative Steve McDaniel, had a long list of accolades for “his innumerable accomplishments” and concluded praising Woody as “deeply devoted to his family and most proud of the love and companionship he shares with his wife, Cynthia, and their two sons, Stephen and Adam.”

Few people know that Woody designed the marvelous water feature stretching the length of the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center’s courtyard. In September 2001 during the planning phase of the Interpretive Center, Woody was in Florida for a meeting of southeastern National Park Service superintendents. When air travel was suspended on 9/11, another superintendent drove a rented a 15-seat passenger van north, dropping off park service colleagues along the way. In the back of the van, Woody sketched his idea for the water feature on a legal pad. The drawing he drafted on that somber ride home was the basis for what would become The Stream of American History, 1770-1870. Visitors are delighted and moved by the huge blocks of granite and changing watercourse symbolizing the birth and growth of our nation while highlighting the major Civil War battles that divided the states in the first century of U.S. history.

Family was Woody’s greatest treasure. He is survived by his devoted wife Cynthia; his eldest son Stephen and Stephen’s 16-month-old daughter Chloe, the youngest bloom in Woody’s family tree; and son Adam (Raysail Jones) and their twin daughters Everleigh and Athena, the first of Woody’s three granddaughters. His extended family includes his cherished surrogate daughter Ashley Berry (Clint) and their children Clinton and Emilie, who he loved as his own.

Woody’s niece Kathy recalls the steadfast love he shared with her family and the special bond he had with her father Herb, who admired his brother’s adventurous spirit. Nephew Bud reminisces about summers at the Harrell family’s Nags Head cottage, where Woody’s joy and creativity turned simple moments into lifelong memories—from Coca-Cola and cookies on the porch to imaginative lessons that brought history to life.

Woody’s legacy is one of humor, strength, and a profound appreciation for life’s beauty. His story lives on in the hearts of all who knew him, a reminder that a life well-lived leaves an indelible mark on the world.

An outdoor memorial service and thanksgiving for Woody’s extraordinary life is planned for April 5, 2025, at Shiloh National Military Park. More details will be shared closer to the time of the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations to the restoration fund for The Stream of American History, 1770-1870. Restoration would include major repairs needed to return the daily flow of water to Woody’s creation in the courtyard of the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center. Donations may be mailed to: Shiloh National Military Park, 1055 Pittsburg Landing Rd, Shiloh, TN 38376. Please include “Stream of American History Restoration Fund” on the check or money order memo line.

Rest peacefully, Woody. Your footsteps echo on the trails you loved, and your light shines brightly in the lives you touched.

Online condolences can be left at www.MemorialCorinth.com for the Harrell family.

Memorial Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.