Dortha Woodward

August 22, 1927 - September 21, 2018

Dortha Jean (Brown) Woodward, 91, formerly of Lubbock, passed away Friday, September 21, 2018 in Mansfield, Texas. Graveside service was held Tuesday, September 25, 2018 at 10:30 am at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. Dortha was born August 22, 1927 in Swenson, Texas to Evelyn and Ernest Brown. She graduated from Tahoka High School and attended Draughon’s Business College in Lubbock. During World War II, she worked for the Civil Service in Dallas, Texas as a secretary. Returning to Lubbock, she married James Dalton Woodward (Bud) on November 7, 1945 in Acuff, Texas. They were lifelong residents of Lubbock County and were members of Woodrow Baptist Church. After raising their children, she worked at a local junior high school as an assistant librarian and during retirement she volunteered at Texas Tech Ranch Heritage Center where she shared her love of all things TEXAS. In her spare time, she liked to go RVing and camping with Bud, reading, antiquing and quilting with the girls. Some of her greatest joys were spending time watching her great-grandsons grow, even learning to ride their bikes without training wheels, riding the lawn tractors or feeding the goats while on a visit to the farm. She was preceded in death by her husband James of 71 years; parents and brother Clifford Brown. Survivors include: daughter Nancy Woodward Copeland (Melvin) of Mansfield; son James Stanley Woodward of Lubbock; granddaughter Jennifer Cook (Rob) and great-grandsons Matthew and Michael Cook all of Mansfield; brother Hylton Ray Brown of Houston and numerous nieces and nephews.