Leonard Don Wooddell, 66, of Newport, N.C., departed this life Wednesday, March 1, 2017, at Carteret Health Care in Morehead City, N.C. Death resulted unexpectedly from meningitis.
He was born October 27, 1950 at the Naval Hospital in Pensacola, Florida, a son of the late Brent T. and Gladys Wooddell. He was a graduate of Franklin County High School in Columbus, Ohio. Leonard enjoyed life, especially spending time on the water. He loved his family and friends. He was an employee of Bouila Construction, in Newport, for 22 years. He worked previously as a security guard at Snowshoe Ski Resort in Pocahontas County, W.Va., where he met the love of his life, Paris Flanagan Sturm. The couple married on July 18, 1981 and celebrated 31 years of marriage together. After spending many years working through the cold W.Va. winters, the couple sought a new life on the Crystal Coast in N.C. They spent their lives working on the water and, in later years, just enjoying the warm sunshine.
He is predeceased by his wife Paris, and sister Barbara Eck of Columbus, Ohio.
He is survived by his mother-in-law Faitha Flanagan of Thomas, W.Va.; two children he loved as his own, son Jerry Howard Sturm of Kerens, W.Va. and daughter Elizabeth Lancaster (Scott) of Kerens, W.Va.; brothers Bill Wooddell (Valecia) of Corapeak, N.C.; brother-in-law Gordon Lee (Elsie) Flanagan of Ohio; sisters Carolyn Eilertson (Sid) of New Bern, N.C., Sandra Willhite (Brian) of Hillsboro, W.Va., Kay Hogan (Michael) of Millington, Md.; grandchildren Hannah Marie Evans (Logan) and Jacob Lancaster of Kerens, W.Va.; and several nieces and nephews.
The family welcomes friends to celebrate his life during a memorial service at 2 pm, Saturday, June 17, at First United Methodist Church in Parsons. The Reverend William R. Brown will officiate. A private interment will be held later at the Waxler Cemetery in Danville, Md.
Arrangements are entrusted to Cotten Funeral Home and Crematory. Family and friends may leave condolences to the family at www.cottenfuneralhome.com.
