Dr. James Frederick Woodruff II

He was born February 11, 1920 in Detroit, Michigan. His father, J. Fred Woodruff, of Petoskey, was a prominent member of the Detroit automobile economy, and his mother was Esther B. Kilborn. He had four siblings. In 1928 the family was divorced; his mother moved the family to Ann Arbor and James enrolled in the Ann Arbor public schools. Upon graduation he entered the University of Michigan, but very shortly, caught by the patriotism of the war effort he volunteered for the Army Air Corp. After service in the Army as a pilot instructor and as pilot in the North Atlantic Wing of the Air Transport Command Mr. Woodruff returned to his academic studies at the University and graduated with a Ph.D. in 1952.

Dr. Woodruff accepted a position as assistant professor in the Geography and Geology Department at The University of Georgia. In 1956, as staff became dissatisfied with various policies, a number of the members sought employment at other schools, Dr. Woodruff went to San Diego State College where he spent four year before returning to UGA. Dr. Woodruff remained at Athens for the next 25 years retiring as professor emeritus in 1980. During his tenure at UGA, he served president of the Southeast Division of the Association of American Geographers and contributed to numerous professional publications in the field of Geography and Geology. He was also a member of the Athens Country Club. Towards the end of his academic career he engaged in a hobby of building houses which became a second career as a developer and builder of numerous Athens houses.

Dr. Woodruff is survived by his beloved wife of 64 years, Ann Thomas Woodruff; four children: James Frederick Woodruff III, Alice Evelyn Woodruff, David Oliver Woodruff, and John Thomas Woodruff; eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

A Memorial Service will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens on Tuesday, November 3 at 11 a.m., reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Jeannette Rankin Foundation, 1 Huntington Road, Suite 701, Athens, GA 30606; http://www.rankinfoundation.org/

Dictated by James F Woodruff, August 19, 2015.

Online condolences may be offered at www.bernsteinfuneralhome.com.

Bernstein Funeral Home and Cremation Service has charge of arrangements.