George Alton Woodley

George Alton Woodley, age 89, passed away on March 9, 2024, in Matador, Texas.

George was born to Alton Woodley and Helen (Ashcraft) Woodley in Paducah, Texas.

After enlisting to serve in the U.S. Army in 1956, George married his Paducah High School sweetheart, Glynda Ruth Bradford, on March 14, 1956, in Seaside, Calif., and they immediately moved to Olympia, Wash. and later Anchorage, Alaska, where he served in the United States Army Special Forces. Upon discharge from the Army, they moved back to Paducah, where they raised a family.

After moving back to Paducah, he worked as the manager of the local Paducah Coca-Cola Bottling Company for 22 years, working closely with owner Wilmer Wilson, who he considered not only a boss, but a friend. He then moved to Wichita Falls, Texas in 1978, working with Coca-Cola Bottling company for several years. After leaving Coca-Cola, he spent 18 years as a manager with Howmet Corporation, making jet engine turbines, until his retirement in 2000. Upon retirement, he moved back to Paducah to pursue his lifelong passion of farming and raising cattle. In later years, he and wife Ruth spent most of their time in Georgia and Colorado, to be close to children, grandchildren and their great-grandson.

Throughout his life, George had a deep commitment to his Christian faith and dedication to his wife and children. He served many years as Deacon and Sunday school teacher at the First Baptist Church of Paducah.

George always had a love for children. If he was not at work, George dedicated his time, encouragement and his kind sense of humor to playing sandlot sports with Mike, Jay and many Paducah neighborhood kids. He was a little league baseball coach and founded Paducah’s youth football program in the mid 1960s, which continued for many years. On Friday nights, he was usually refereeing Texas high school football games until he retired when his children got into high school, so he could attend their games. George served as a Scout Troop Leader in both Paducah and later the Boy Scouts of America in Wichita Falls.

He is preceded in death by his parents and sister Helen Harrison (Woodley).

George is survived by his wife of 68 years, Glynda Ruth Woodley (Bradford), of Paducah; two sons, Mike Woodley and daughter in-law Judy Woodley, of Pagosa Springs, Colo., and Jay Woodley, of Cumming, Ga.; grandson Matthew Woodley, of Cumming, Ga.; granddaughter Ellie Woodley, of Pagosa Springs, Colo.; granddaughter Anna Woodley, of Loveland, Colo.; and great-grandson Brock Hansell, of Pagosa Springs, Colo.

Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday March 15, 2024, First Baptist Church of Paducah. Interment will be held at Garden of Memories Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Zapata Funeral Home.