Dabney Ellis Wooldridge III ("Woody")

Dabney Ellis Wooldridge III was born on February 19, 1938, in Clifton Forge, Virginia, to Dabney Ellis Wooldridge Jr. and Naomi Withrow Wooldridge. He was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Georgia Cobbs and Kenny Wooldridge.

He is survived by his wife, Christine Seiple Wooldridge, his daughters Tracy Pouncy, and Becky Philo (Tony), his grandchildren, Courtney Paz (Daniel), Tyler Pouncy (Sarah), Carson Viole (Brian), Cassidy Leslie (Michael), Kirsti Pouncy, Chad Pouncy, and Charis Philo.

After graduating from Cuyahoga Falls High School in 1956, Woody attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he played football for two years. He later enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1962. During his military service, Woody studied Chinese at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. In 1966, he was selected to attend Officers Candidate School and The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia, where he met the woman who would become his beloved wife of sixty years.

In 1966, Woody married Christine shortly before deploying to Vietnam. He served in Vietnam from September 1966 through October 1967, earning the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry in recognition of his service.

Upon returning from Vietnam, Woody and Christine were stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for two years. During this time, he was selected by the Marine Corps to complete his college education at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, where he earned a double major in sociology and political science.

Woody’s two daughters, Tracy and Becky, were born in 1970 and 1971, respectively. During this chapter of their lives, the family lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Woody was assigned to independent duty. It was there that they also became lifelong and enthusiastic Pittsburgh Steelers fans. Most significantly, however, it was during this time that Woody came to know the Lord as his personal Savior, a defining moment that would shape the rest of his life.

Woody and his family were stationed in Taiwan for three years, where he continued his study of the Chinese language with a native Chinese instructor. During this assignment, he served with the Taiwan Defense Command and became fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

His subsequent military assignments included Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and Fort Huachuca, Arizona. After 21 years of distinguished service, Woody retired from the United States Marine Corps in 1983 as a Major.

For the next twenty-five years, Woody devoted himself to Christian education, teaching primarily history and government and coaching soccer and basketball for many of those years. He was beloved by his students, including his own two daughters. Known for his firm discipline, he was equally remembered as an encouraging mentor who invested in the lives of his students both inside and outside the classroom.

Woody and Christine spent a year living in China teaching English, and during that time, the vision of bringing American English teachers to China began to take shape. In 2001, they started organizing and leading English summer camps with the help of American volunteers, continuing this ministry for nearly two decades. Through these camps, Woody brought together two passions that had shaped his life: teaching and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the Chinese people.

Woody went home to be with the Lord on Veterans Day, November 11, 2026, a fitting date for a man who devoted 21 years of his life to serving his country. He will be remembered for his military service, his years as an educator, and his mission work in China, but most of all for the love, guidance, and leadership he provided to his family. Nothing brought him greater joy than gathering around a table with his wife, children, grandchildren, and, in recent years, great-grandchildren, sharing laughter and reminiscing about the many memories they made together. He leaves behind a legacy of faith, service, and family, and he will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday November 21, 2026, at Timberlake Baptist Church beginning at 11 a.m. Visitation shall be held one hour prior to the service. 

Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assiting the family.