Gary K. Woodring

Gary K. Woodring, age 72, died Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at his Pocono Lake, PA home. He was a former resident of Schwenksville, PA.

Gary was born on October 4, 1953, in Norristown, PA, to the late Samuel R. and Elaine E. (Hoffman) Woodring. He was a 1971 graduate of Perkiomen Valley High School.

Before retiring, Gary was Chief Of Prosthetics for the US Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA.

After a sustaining a spinal cord injury at the age of 20 Gary had overcome many obstacles but ultimately found his true calling in wheelchair basketball. Before competing at a professional level he worked for a gaffer/lighting crew company where he met John Wayne and also helped on lighting the set of Field of Dreams. Gary’s love of basketball had him travelling the world with Team USA. He was a gold medalist in the 1987 World Championships in the Stoke Mandeville games, a gold medal Paralympian in the 1988 Seoul Games, a gold medalist in the 1990 World Championships in England, a gold medal Paralympian in the 1992 Barcelona Games which ultimately led earning a trip to the White House meeting President Bill Clinton. He was also member of the Rollin Razorbacks from 1988 through 1998 where won the National Championships in 1991, 1993, 1994, and 1996, which earned him a spot in the NWBA (National Wheelchair Basketball Association) Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. He continued playing recreationally at the Carousel House in Philadelphia. With Gary being involved in wheelchair sports and competing at a high level it was only natural for him to become an inspiration to the handicapped youth. He loved meeting with them and having custom-fitting chairs and other equipment for them which would lead to him starting Super Spokes, an organization that teaches children in wheelchairs about the many sports they can play. He made such an impact that Bryan Purifoy, one of his clients, entered him in the 1997 search for True Blue Heroes with Crayola ultimately winning the chance to name the Crayon Color #7, Torch Red. The name stems from him carrying the Olympic torch through Little Rock, AR for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics torch relay. Even with basketball consuming so much of his life he still found time to enjoy the outdoors. His lake activities were boating, fishing and believe it or not water skiing. On land he preferred building and flying his remote-controlled airplanes. In retirement he appreciated spending time outside his mountain house watching the wildlife or tinkering with something he thought was out of place or needed fixed. His grandkids were light of his life and always on the forefront of his mind often talking about to anyone and everyone who would listen. He always looked forward to his weekly conversations with his son and regular visits with his daughter. Gary was never one to be a braggart, he would always choose to listen to someone else’s stories rather than tell his own. Never realizing the impact he left on so many people.

Gary is survived by his children, Stacey E., wife of Jonathan Speak, Schwenksville, PA, and Dylan K. Woodring, Kansas City, MO; his grandchildren Samuel Robert Speak, Sadie Lynn Speak, Daxton Kenneth Woodring, and Milo Eugene Woodring; and his brother, James, husband of Rebecca (Fritz) Woodring, Limerick, PA. He was preceded in death by his brother, Craig (Corky) Woodring.

A graveside service for Gary will be held at Noon, Tuesday, April 28th, in Schwenksville Cemetery, 715 Limerick Rd., Schwenksville, PA 19473, with Rev. Adrien J. Tierson, Pastor, Heidelberg United Church Of Christ, Schwenksville, officiating. A celebration of Gary’s life will follow at Copperfield Inn At Lakeside, Limerick, PA. Memorial contributions may be made to the Gary Woodring Adaptive Sports Memorial Fund, https://gofund.me/37289b5e6. Arrangements are by Holcombe Funeral Home, Inc., Trappe, PA.