Woody was born October 8, 1946 in Owen County, Kentucky to farmers, Vinton and Hazel (Hounchell) Woodyard. Vinton moved his family north to Cincinnati and Woody attended Mariemont High School, graduating in 1965.
Barely 21, Woody joined the Cincinnati Police Division on December 19, 1967 as a Police Recruit. He was promoted to Patrolman on February 23, 1968, issued Badge 651, and assigned to District 6 (3295 Erie Avenue). One year later, he was rotated to District 1 (310 Lincoln Park Drive) and would spend the rest of his career there, the last several years of which were in the District 1 Investigative Unit. Officer Woodyard retired on October 7, 1994, with 27 years of service and nine letter of appreciation and/or commendation.
Changing careers, Officer Woodyard went to work at Gabbard’s Mt. Orab Ford as a parts truck driver, then weekend office assistant, then salesman. He earned numerous customer satisfaction awards including Ford’s Elite E2 Employee Excellence Award and retired after 20 years.
He was a member of the Cincinnati Police, Queen City Lodge Fraternal Order of Police and of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Mt. Orab, including serving on its Parish Council.
Officer Woodyard contracted brain cancer and died, surrounded by family at his residence, at 4 a.m. on May 11, 2022. He was 75½ years old.
He was predeceased by a grandson, Evan Woodyard, and father-in-law, Russell Matthews. Officer Woodyard is survived by his wife, Ruth Ann (Matthews) Woodyard; children, Craig Edward (Audra) Woodyard and Cathy Renee (Bryant) Smith; grandchildren, Jessica (Michael) Hucker, Nick (Karli) Woodyard, Gunnar (Jessica) Woodyard, Amanda (Seth) Woollard, Lori (Terry) Bohl, Isabella Woodyard, Olive Baird, Tyler Smith, and Brooke Smith; and siblings, Ruby (Bill) Strickley; mother-in-law, Dorothy Matthews; and siblings in law, Joseph Matthews, Russ (Kim) Matthews, Rose (William “Woody) Whittington, June Matthews, and Mary (Tom) Hammersley.
Visitation will be held 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 15, 2022 at Cahall Funeral Home, 101 Liming Farm Road, in Mt. Orab. A FOP service will be held at 12:45 p.m. A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. with interment following at Mt. Orab Cemetery. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at St. Michael’s Catholic Church at a later date.
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