Mary Helen Vinson Woodard

A service to celebrate her life will be held Tuesday, September 10th at 11am at First Baptist Church of Clayton, 411 N. Fayetteville St, where she was a life-long member. Dr. Mark White will be officiating the service and a private burial will follow. The family will receive friends at First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall between 9:30am - 10:45am on Tuesday, September 10th.

Mary Helen was born in Clayton on April 11, 1926 to the late Henry Herman Vinson and Lessie Jones Vinson. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Woodard, a son, Gearry “Loomis” Woodard, sisters, Doris Vinson Mitchiner Parker, Joyce Vinson Lipscomb Canady, and brothers, John Arch Vinson and James Thomas Vinson.

Mary Helen attended Meredith College and taught school with the Johnston County School System. She and her husband,Richard, opened and operated a number of small businesses in Clayton including an oil company and several service stations. In 1977, Mary purchased The Town Shoppe, a ladies boutique on Main Street in Downtown Clayton that became a fixture of the community and operated until 2004. Her business acumen extended into real estate and development. More than anything, she valued the relationships she formed along the way. She loved people and working with the public. Active and passionate about Clayton and keeping the downtown district alive, she was involved with the Downtown Development Association and Clayton Chamber of Commerce. She strongly supported The Harbor Foundation for battered and abused women and was awarded as an Honorary Lifetime member ofthe Clayton Woman’s Club. She had a beautiful voice and used it by singing with the First Baptist Church Choir for over 30 years. She was quick to jump in on harmony whenever her family sang together. Mary demonstrated hospitality to others through her cooking skills. Cooking was a passion for Mary, she could whip up a meal in record time, and used her skills to serve others. Later in life, Mary volunteered extensively in the Soup Kitchen at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Raleigh. She would take her grandchildren along with her at times in order to demonstrate the importance of giving to those in need. She was an extremely generous person, most of all in how she made others feel loved and important.

She is survived by her children, Richard “Dickie” Vinson Woodard and wife Barbara of Eagle Rock, VA, Valerie Woodard Dupree and husband Danny of Clayton, Barry Brian Woodard and wife Jan of Clayton. She was “Mai” to 10 grandchildren, Katherine Dabney (Mike) Morris, Richard Gordon Woodard, James Peyton (McKenzie) Woodard all of Richmond, VA. Mary Whitney (David) Rakestraw of Raleigh. Matthew Wyatt (Emily) Dupree, Richard Walton (Kelli) Dupree, GL (Angie) Woodard, April Woodard (Josh) Cote, Evan Woodard, all of Clayton and Callie Woodard (Collin) Johnson of Charleston, SC. Mai also had 18 great grandchildren, a special sister-in-law, Polly Dixon Vinson, many beloved nieces, nephews and close friends.

Gifts of flowers are welcome, as well as donations in her memory made to First Baptist Church Clayton, 411 N. Fayetteville St, Clayton, NC 27520 or Harbor, INC., P.O. Box 1903 Smithfield, NC 27577

The Family is so thankful for the loving care she received from her caretakers and friends Bonnie McCormac, Jackie Close, Anita Boylan, Lisa Gardner, Gwen Holden, Rose Wilkinson, Lacine Jones, Bernice Jones, as well as medical care from Transitions Life Care and her doctors, Dr. Chuck Williams and Dr. Ben Atkeson.