Woodley Ladd Chandler

Woodley Ladd Chandler, known as "Woody" to family and friends, passed away in his home, surrounded by family on March 6th, 2021. Rain fell as a pair of Sandhill Cranes peered in through the window to witness his passing. Born in Philadelphia, Mississippi on May 2nd, 1929, Woody graduated from Mississippi State University in 1951, working his way through college with two jobs: One at a sawmill and the other as a tour guide in Montana's Glacier National Park.

- Woody lived a full life of service, travel, and adventure. He proudly served in the U.S. Civil Service and Air Force Reserves, retiring from the Air Force as a Lt. Colonel in 1980 and from civil service in 1994. He had a storied career that included initiating many innovations in computer data processing for the U.S. Military. His deep intelligence and problem solving skills served him well. After retiring, he spent time working with the Bahraini government, leading an overhaul of their account and finance systems.

- Woody spent much of life traveling widely across the world and adventuring. Among his many accomplishments, Woody was a sailor, scuba diver, pilot, mountain climber, boat builder, and skier. An avid boater and sailor his entire life, he sailed everywhere from the Hawaiian Islands to Colorado mountain lakes and even spent four years building a trimaran.

- He spent his later years faithfully volunteering with services like Meals on Wheels and providing tax help for seniors. He was a kind and just man who had a love for learning, reading, a good joke, and solving the daily crossword.

- He is survived and will be missed by Ruby, his loving wife of 53 years who was his constant companion in adventure and travel, his children, Samuel, David, Jonathan, and Michael, his stepchildren, Linda, Del, and Robyn, and his ex-wife Gwendoline.

- He is preceded in death by his father Thomas Alfred Chandler Sr., his mother Jessie “Ladd” Chandler, his brothers Thomas Alfred “Fred” Chandler Jr. and William “Billy” T. Chandler, and his step-daughter Coleen Simmons.

- A celebration of Woody’s life will be held at the First Baptist Church East Bay, 10102 Old Big Bend Rd, Riverview, Florida at a time and date to be determined.