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Walter WOODALL Obituary
Neil was born May 20, 1912, in Naruna, Va., to the late Walter Burton Woodall and Hattie Myrtle Wheeler. He graduated from the Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School in 1931 and rose through the ranks of the Newport News Shipbuilding company to attain middle management status. He served the company for 45 years, retiring in 1972. He then served as a consulting engineer in the shipbuilding field until 1980. During these years he and Fay lived in Newport News, Va.; Puson, South Korea; San Francisco, Calif.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Florida and Texas. They retired to Arkansas in 1990 and moved into the Good Samaritan Cedar Lodge in 2000 where they lived independently for the last 12 years. He was a member of the Society of Naval and Marine Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Presbyterian Church.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Myrtle Hull Woodall; daughter, Sylvia Fite; sister, Lois Kelly; brothers, Dallas and Raymond Woodall; and two grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife, Fay Marshall Woodall of Hot Springs Village, Ark.; daughters, Judy Stephens of Indianapolis, Ind., and Peggy Young of Spring Grove, Va.; sisters, Myrtle Vaughn and Laura Narter of Williamsburg, Va.; seven grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren, and a host of nieces and nephews who loved him dearly.
A memorial service will be held on Nov. 19, at the Good Samaritan Chapel in Hot Springs Village. View and post condolences on our online guestbook at dailypress.com/guestbooks.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Walter WOODALL
3 Entries
Dianne Burnette Shepherd
November 16, 2012
Celebration of a life well lived. Many
memories from years as a neighbor on
on Nelson Drive in Newport News, Va.
Bill Lee
November 12, 2012
In my formative years in high school and the Apprentice School, I knew - ever so slightly - WHS classmate Sylvia's father only as MISTER Woodall. A man to be respected, albeit somewhat from afar, given our differences in age and occupational positions.
Years later, I somehow discovered a memoir he had written and was amazed at his near total recall of decades earlier events and adventures in Korea; plus his oft-times humorous recollections of the 'good times' at NNS and the surrounding community.
When I discovered he was the oldest apprentice alumnus, I became bold enough to call and ask him if I could abstract from his memories and highlight his A School and other s/y experiences for the enlightenment and enjoyment of fellow 'Big A' alumni.
It will come as no surprise to his family that he enthusastically agreed and graciously provided much additional material, and patiently responded to my innumerable questions.
In the process, the difference in our ages melted away, and at his insistance, MISTER Woodall became just Neil.
But more than 'just Neil' - he became a friend and a frequent communicator and contributer to other stories about NNS and life in what was once Warwick County. It was a relatively short relationship, but a fairly intense one; typical, I suppose for anyone who ever interfaced with him.
I shall miss him. Not nearly as much as his family, of course. But I am comforted, as I hope his loved are, as well, by the notion that we have all been the better to have been in his company; be it for only a short time or for decades.
May 2012 - 100th birthday celebration
Keith and Julie Harris
November 11, 2012
Thanks to Neil's sharp mind, his 100 year legacy will live on in his children, grandchildren and beyond. Good-bye sweet Granddaddy.
We love you,
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