Francis Paul Woodland

Francis “Paul” Woodland was born in Valley Lee, MD on May 14, 1935, the only child of Florence Ellen Woodland and George Chauncey Brisco. Paul lost his mother to illness at an early age and was raised by his maternal grandmother in Piney Point, MD near the place where the Potomac River spills into the Chesapeake Bay - 25 miles as the crow flies from the birthplace of President George Washington (Popes Creek, VA).

Taking advantage of the bounty of the sea that surrounded him, Paul became an early entrepreneur, working with a close friend to catch blue crabs and oysters in the rough waters of Chesapeake Bay. Known as a quiet kid and a hard-working man, Paul left his home in the shadows of Annapolis in an old car purchased for him by his uncle for a new kind of military service that he had seen on old movie reels, the US Air Force. Barely of age and with the permission of his family, Paul headed to the recruiting station at Leonardtown, MD.

Early assignments in Alexandria, VA and Sampson AFB in NY were essential, but Paul’s life changed forever when, in 1956, friends at Sandia AFB in Albuquerque, NM introduced him to beautiful young Georgia Wynn at Walker’s Soda Fountain. Paul and Georgia would marry and spend the next 69 years together. Georgia was the love of Paul’s life, and they enjoyed each other’s company to the end.

Paul retired from the Air Force in 1976 while stationed at Edwards AFB in Southern CA. He and Georgia settled in Lancaster, CA where they raised their four children. Paul Stanley was born in Albuquerque, NM. Tracy Breion joined in Wichita, KS; Mark Francis was welcomed to the fold in Nassawadox, VA and, back in Wichita, KS, the family’s hub when Paul was stationed overseas, Shannon’s birth rounded out the family. Home is, indeed, where the Air Force sends you. Paul’s oldest daughter, Ruth Smith, was born prior to his leaving Piney Point, MD.

While Paul’s love for his family came first, his mission in defense of the United States of America was a close second. He proudly served in Danang, Vietnam where he was a member of a civil engineering team deployed by the Air Force. The USAF Red Horse (Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers) units were deployed when operations required support above the normal base civil engineer capabilities. At one point, his civil engineering unit constructed revetments and aircraft cable arresting systems that would be hooked onto by pilots to help aircraft land safely on runways that were either too short or damaged by military operations.

Paul took tremendous pride in giving his family the opportunity to experience life overseas. They enjoyed two years in Bangkok, Thailand where Paul supported operations in Southeast Asia. His four young children had the chance to be educated abroad and explore the food and culture of a beautiful region of the world. The experience changed them forever.

Technical Sargent Francis Paul Woodland served in the US Air Force for more than 20 years with stops across the globe including VA, NY, MA, NM, FL, AK, TX, Washington DC and CA. Paul always felt that the sacrifices he and his family were asked to make addressed a higher calling, one he was willing to make in service to his country.

Francis Paul Woodland died peacefully at the age of 90, on June 3, 2025, in Oakland, CA overlooking the San Francisco Bay, 2900 miles from the waters of the Chesapeake. Paul is survived by his wife Georgia Louella Woodland, sons Paul Stanley Woodland and Mark Francis Woodland, daughter Ruth Smith, daughter-in-law Denise T. Lombard and former daughter-in-law Winsome Ang Woodland. Grandfather of Atiya Bertrand, Gabrielle Dominique Woodland, Jordan Ashley Woodland, Madison Renee Woodland and Christopher Jacob Woodland. Paul was preceded in death by his daughters Tracy Breion Woodland Harris and Shannon Renee Woodland.