A.M. "Woody" Woodward Jr.

Woody Woodward, 96, passed away on June 25th 2017 in Hoschton Georgia. He was born August 21, 1920 in Jarrell, Texas to A.M. and Lola Woodward.

He enlisted in the US Army on October 8, 1940. In the 71 Signal Corp in World War II he served in Algeria-French Morocco, Sicily, Naples-Fogia, Rome-Arno, Southern France, Central Europe, and Rhineland. Following victory in Europe he was on leave getting ready to proceed to the Pacific when the WWII ended. He was Honorably Discharged as a Sergeant on September 9, 1945 with the EAME Campaign Medal with 7 bronze stars and 1 Bronze Arrow-head.

He went back to work for Southwestern Bell (part of AT&T). In Nov. 1946 he married Virgie Bell Turner of Clifton, TX. They had one son, Don Woodward. Woody and Virgie were married 63 years until she passed in April, 2010.

Woody worked for Southwestern Bell for 33 years before retiring. He had some amazing experiences with the phone company. For example, he was picked to install the president’s secret service phone system with international hot lines for LBJ at the “White House on the Perdernales” in Dec 1963 right after JFK had been shot. Years later after retiring he was working as airport security when Ladybird Johnson was passing through and stopped and recognized him as her “Phone man”.

He was a Mason, Hill City Lodge #456, Austin Scottish Rite, and a Shriner, Ben Hur Shrine Temple and Patrol Unit. He was a member of the Crestview United Methodist Church in Austin.

After he and Virgie retired they enjoyed traveling. They took several cruises and toured the US in one of a series of increasingly larger motor homes (RV’s) that they owned.

Those left to cherish his memory are his son, Don Woodward and his wife Donna of Georgia, grandson Brandon Woodward and his wife Bibi of Georgia, and great-granddaughter Mackenzie Woodward. He also leaves 4 of his 11 siblings, Helen Sanderford, Sarah James, and Peggy McClung of Temple, Mary Brannam of Rockdale.

Services will be held at 10:00 on Thursday July 6th at the Cook Walden Funeral Home, 6100 N. Lamar Blvd. Interment will follow at Cook Walden Capital Parks Cemetery in Pflugerville, TX.

In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to www.ShrinersHospitals.org/donate or to Crestview United Methodist Church, 1300 Morrow St. Austin, TX 78757.