William Woodyear

William Edward Woodyear IV, the son of Ruth Hall and W.E. Woodyear III, was born in Baltimore on August 3, 1928, and died September 16, 2016, at Somerford Place Assisted Living in Annapolis. His family called him Billy or Bill, but later he became Woody to his friends and colleagues. He graduated from Baltimore City College in 1948 and served in the US Navy (Seabees) during the Korean War. After his discharge, he earned a BSME (1957) from the Georgia Institute of Technology. While at Georgia Tech, he sang in the Glee Club. After a few years with Standard Oil in West Virginia, he spent most of his working life at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt. Woody began work there as a contractor in 1963, converted to civil service in 1966, and retired in 1990. At GSFC, he supported the Orbiting Geophysical Observatory (OGO) and Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO) Projects. In addition to his work, he was one of the founding members of Goddard's Music and Drama (MAD) group where he acted, sang and directed in various productions. While Woody loved music theater, he was most intensely involved in woodworking. He designed and made several shadow boxes using mostly carved walnut to depict interior or exterior scenes. He also built several pieces of furniture and a garage sized just to fit his BMW roadster. Woody took a keen interest in decorating his home with a variety of new and inherited pieces as well as his original work. He also became interested in knitting and designed and made several sweaters. His favorite vacation spots were Monhegan Island ME, Pawleys Island SC, and Mont Sutton, Quebec, where he skied for many years with a group of friends that he had met there on his first trip in 1975. He is survived by his companion of 36 years, Jan Owings, of Dunkirk, MD; three children, William E. (Ed) Woodyear V of Dallas GA, E. Lee Woodyear and his wife Kalliope Migirou of Brooklyn NY, and Dr. Wynne Elizabeth Woodyear and her husband Thomas Crowell of Greensboro NC; four grandchildren, Christopher and Elizabeth Ribando, and Aris and Iason Woodyear; a sister-in-law, Frances Woodyear of Pennsylvania; and several nieces and nephews. His parents and brother, Ralph, predeceased him. He is also survived by his previous wives, Ann Byrd, Ocie Thomas, and Sue Martin. The family wishes to express their deep gratitude to the staff at Somerford and the Hospice of the Chesapeake who cared for him. There will be a Celebration of his Life on October 1 from 3:00-6:00 p.m. at Honey's Harvest Farm, 5801 Brooks Woods Rd. Lothian, MD. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Heifer Project International, P.O. Box 8058, Little Rock, AR 72203; Hospice of the Chesapeake, John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena, MD 21122; or a charity of your choice. Online condolences can be made at www.johnmtaylorfuneralhome.com. ?