John Woodfin

WOODFIN. John Howlett Woodfin, 72, passed away December 15, 2010. He was preceded in death by his parents, Richard Andrew and Ina Virginia Wright Woodfin. He is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Anne Cunningham Woodfin; his daughter, Suzanne Woodfin Villani; his son-in-law, Anthony John Villani Jr. "Tony" and their three children, Anthony John Villani III "Johnny," Wright Woodfin Villani and Virginia Curran Villani; his son, John Howlett Woodfin Jr. "Jack"; daughter-in-law, Charlotte Brown Woodfin and their four children, Anna Charlotte Woodfin, Eliza Wilcox Woodfin, John Howlett Woodfin III and Margaret Louise Harris Woodfin; his sister-in-law, Claudia Jane Cunningham; his brother, Richard Andrew Woodfin Jr.; sister-in-law, Patricia Perry Woodfin and their three sons, Richard Andrew Woodfin III, Christopher Perry Woodfin and Scott Campbell Woodfin. He was born in Richmond, Va. and graduated from Hermitage High School, Class of 1957, where he was a member of the track, basketball and football teams and was named to the All-Metro Football Team. John graduated as a civil engineer from the Virginia Military Institute, Class of 1961. At VMI, he was a Cadet Captain, distinguished Military graduate and member of the Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and also served as an Airborne Ranger from 1961 to 1964. In the years following, he worked for Exxon until 1977, when he returned to Richmond to found Woodfin Oil, a small heating oil company that grew to become one of the largest privately held petroleum businesses in Virginia as well as becoming a leader in commercial and industrial HVAC contracting in the region, where he was President and CEO. John served as President of the following organizations: Boys and Girls Club of Richmond, GROFI and the VMI Richmond Club. He actively served on the following boards of directors: The Keydet Club Board of Governors, VMI Alumni Board, Mary Baldwin College Board of Trustees, VPCGA Board, Retail Merchant's Association, Benedictine High School Board of Trustees, The Country Club of Virginia, The Steward School Foundation, SunTrust Bank, Bank of Virginia, Signet Bank and Wachovia Bank. John was a member of First Presbyterian Church, where he served as a Deacon and Elder and was a faithful member of the Covenant Class. He chaired and co-chaired The Heart Association Balls for the past two years. An avid sportsman, lifelong athlete and community volunteer, John was a member of: the Bogies, the Captains and the Fifty-Fiver's Golf Groups; The Sons of the American Revolution; The Richmond Cotillion; The Virginia Creepers; The Richmond Hundred; the Public Affairs Group; the Kiwanis Club of Richmond; The Forum Club; the James River Bridge Club and The Country Club of Virginia. He was a past member of: Meadowbrook Country Club, Willow Oaks Country Club and Farmington Country Club. John was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend to many. A Christian man, he quietly and selflessly helped many in the community throughout his life, never wanting recognition for the help he rendered or for his many accomplishments. A leader in business who enjoyed all sports, especially golf, John was a man who loved life and lived it to the fullest. RUFF. The family will receive friends at their home Friday and Saturday and at Bliley's Funeral Home, 3801 Augusta Ave., Richmond on Sunday, December 19 between 1 to 3 and 6 to 8 p.m. A memorial service will be held on Monday, December 20 at 2 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church. Interment will be a private ceremony at Hollywood Cemetery. Donations in his memory may be made to the American Heart Association, Richmond's Heart Ball, 4217 Park Place Ct., Glen Allen, Va. 23060, or the VMI Foundation, Neikirk Hall, 304 Letcher Ave. P.O. Box 932.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.