Graveside Service: Private
Location: Peninsula Memorial Park
Elmer ‘Woody’ Wooldridge, 94, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on November 24, 2021, after a hard fought battle with cancer.
Born in Lynchburg, VA, Woody lived most of his life in Hampton and Newport News, VA. He served his country in WWII and worked 35 at years Dominion Virginia Power where he retired as a Construction Supervisor in Williamsburg, VA. While at Virginia Power, in 1956, Woody received an award from The Edison Electric Institute for successfully performing pole top resuscitation on a fellow worker. He also helped develop many safety procedures, was one of the first people to do high voltage gloving and, in December of 1976, became one of the first people in the State of Virginia to use a special technique to handle 115 kilovolts with his bare hands.
Woody was a man of quiet strength. Never one to choose sides, he’d quietly listen to each side with his head leaning on his hand, one finger along his cheek. After every voice had been heard the room would fall silent as he spoke, as if by magic, while he offered his wise council. It provided good food for thought in an inclusive way and taught how to reach compromise through understanding another point of view.
Woody was a very resourceful man. Early on if he didn’t have a tool he would figure out a way to use what he did have. As he was able to acquire tools he made sure that all of his children knew how to use them too. He would think out loud as he repaired cars or anything really, and he would have them hand him those tools, demonstrating how he diagnosed and fixed things and imparting skills that created a tremendous source of satisfaction and self-reliance as they became adults.
Woody loved woodworking. His largest project was the house he lived in for the past 50 years. Along with his family he mastered almost every trade to build it from the foundation up, including the cabinets and some of the furniture.
There was nothing Woody loved more that his wife and his family and he did everything he possibly could to ensure their success and happiness. Sadly, his wife, Rina Wooldridge, and son, George Wooldridge, preceded him in death. He is survived by his daughters Kathy and Greta Wooldridge of Newport News and son Keith (Laura) Wooldridge of Punta Gorda, FL; four grandchildren; Mark Wooldridge of Columbia, SC, Gary (Jennifer) Wooldridge of Richmond, VA, Gina (Julie) Austen of Chapel Hill, NC, and Susan Yeatts of Lexington, SC, four great-grandchildren; Mary Yeatts of West Columbia, SC, Thomas and Eleanor Yeatts of Lexington, SC, and James Wooldridge of Richmond, VA.
There will be a private graveside service at Peninsula Memorial Park, Saturday, December 4, 2021.
The family would like to take this opportunity to thank the Doctors and everyone involved with his care for their skilled and compassionate care.
In lieu of flowers the family would like to suggest that donations be made to the Peninsula Agency on Aging, 739 Thimble Shoals Blvd # 1006, Newport News, VA 23606, www.paainc.org or the American Cancer Society https://www.cancer.org/