James Woodard

Brother Woodard was called from service March 7 - 83 days before his 100th Birthday, 67 years after he was raised as a Freemason.

Austin Woodard aged 99 years 284 days. Austin ‘Woody' Woodard had a full life and he lived a full life. Born in Cleburne Texas in 1918 to Eula and Henry Gillespie Sr. Woodard. He grew up as the eldest of nine brothers and sisters and is survived by his sister Wanda Shaw and brother Kay Woodard. Austin was preceded in death by his wife of 74 years, Beulah Alice Batson. The two of them made a life together of love, life, family and happiness. He is also preceded in death by brothers, A. C., Marvin, Henry, Jr., Herschel and Harold; also, by his sister, Wendell. He was also survived by four daughters, Mary Ida Williams; Ruth Jewel Puskar and husband Al, Shirley Ann Wilson and husband JC, Linda Faye Furtick and husband Buel, 11 grandchildren, Lisa Beaty, Lori Curry, Amy Kilgo, James Dickey, Clint Puskar, Emily Flores, Brett Brown, Kelly Golden, Tammy Bennett, Taffy Ward and Cary Furtick; 21 great-grandchildren and 7 great-great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Austin raised his family with a career in Automotive Maintenance. He owned his own auto repair shop and ran the service departments for new car dealerships in Waxahachie through the 60s and 70s. Austin Woodard was active in the Masonic lodge, the Scottish Rite and Red Oak Lions Club. He was a volunteer firefighter, had his private pilot's license and was Mayor of Red Oak for a few terms in the 1960s. He had a full life and he lived a full life. He was a wealth of knowledge on automotive maintenance. At the age of 50 he went back to school so he could teach that knowledge on to others. While he was working full time managing service departments of car dealerships in Waxahachie and part-time in his own auto repair shop during the day - at night he attended classes through Texas A&M to get his teaching certificate. He taught Auto Shop at Desoto High School for 15 years and later Automotive Maintenance at Cedar Valley College at night till he was 72 when he retired. All his life he built, repaired, and worked to make the world a better place with his knowledge, skill, intelligence and wisdom. He was a true Craftsman. Austin, ‘PawPaw', ‘Woody' Woodard was a wonderful husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle, and friend. He will be missed.

Visitation will be held at Wayne Boze Funeral Home, Waxahachie, Texas on Friday, March 9 from 6-8pm. Funeral services are scheduled for 10am on Saturday, March 10 at Wayne Boze Funeral Home, Waxahachie, Texas. Interment will follow at the Red Oak Cemetery, Red Oak, Texas.

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