Ronald Grady Woodall

He taught us how a mule bites corn, how a man should treat his wife, how to run a God-centered company, how to make “quality food with lots of love (™),” and that when you worked for a family company, you could work part-time (“There are 24 hours in a day. You pick which 12 you want to work.”)

On Tuesday, the 5th of September, 2023, Ronald Grady Woodall taught us how to say goodbye. In typical Ron fashion, he waited until the end of the workday and, when it was time to leave, he went Home. He was 96 years of age.

Ron was born on the 16th of August, 1927, in Montgomery, Alabama, to Henry Grady and Lulline (McNair) Woodall. “Baby Brother” to Laura (Schofield) and Big Brother to Joe, Ron grew up in Montgomery, where he graduated high school, joined the United States Navy, and met his wife of what would become fifty years, Mary Ellen (Hartzog). Together, Ron and Mary Ellen, along with their only child, Ronald Steven, settled in Houston where Ron opened, owned, and operated the fast food favorite, Ron’s Krispy Fried Chicken, from 1970 to 1983.

Often described by loved ones as “the greatest man [they’ve] ever known,” Ron believed in faith first then family, and he lived his life as a daily reminder of this motto. A God-fearing man, he prayed without ceasing, gave without exception, and believed in always helping others.

After selling Ron’s Krispy Fried Chicken in 1983, he opened Texas Kitchen Salads/Ron’s Home Style Foods and began supplying refrigerated salads to restaurants and families’ barbecues and dinner tables. He called Willow Meadows Baptist Church home. As a simple southern boy, Ron loved ballroom dancing and golfing, tables filled with sweet potato pie, turnip greens (“don’t forget about the greens!”), and grits, and seeing his grand and great-grandchildren.

The last of his generation, Ron joined many family members in Heaven, including his wife, Mary Ellen (Hartzog) Woodall; his parents, Henry and Lulline Woodall; sisters, Opal Woodall and Laura (James) Schofield; brother, Joe (Mary) Woodall; and his Hartzog family, Shelton (Mary), David (Ada), Dowdie (Camilla), Daniel (Maude), Ellis (Hettie), JW (Theda), Carl, Yancey (Virdie), Laurence (Dorothy), and Dorothy (Wayne Johnson). He also joins a grandson, Ryan Shelton Woodall, who passed away shortly after birth in 1977.

He leaves behind on earth a legacy of lessons and love, and a family that is forever thankful they had the chance to learn from him. Those who will do their best to live as he did include his son, Steve Woodall, and grandchildren: Jennifer Townsell, Steven (Cristina) Woodall, Amy (Nick) Papadimitriou, Brandon (Allison) Woodall, and Angela (Shane) Hawkins. His childhood stories of playing in the Alabama fields, young adult USO stories of meeting the beautiful dancer he wed, and adult stories of how to start up and run a successful business are carried on in his 13 great-grandchildren: Mason Woodall, Savannah Massey, Haley Woodall, Dylan Woodall, Lily Woodall, Chase Woodall, Bobby Woodall, Arabella Hawkins, Alexis Woodall, Jordan Woodall, Amaya Hawkins, Deacon Hawkins, Cassia Hawkins, bonus great-grands: Alan, Meghan, Samantha Townsell, and bonus great-great grand: Harper Idol. In addition, Ron is mourned by all who had the pleasure of knowing him, including many nieces, nephews, friends, and employees.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family to commence at eleven o’clock in the morning on Sunday, the 10th of September, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston, where the funeral service will immediately follow at half-past twelve o’clock.

The committal is to follow, via an escorted cortege, at the Memorial Mission Mausoleum of Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery in Houston.

Please visit Mr. Woodall’s online memorial tribute at GeoHLewis.com where fond memories and words of comfort and condolence may be shared electronically with his family.