Claude Woody

Waynesville, Richard Claude Woody, 69, passed away on Friday, July 8, 2022 at his residence.

Claude was a native and lifelong resident of Haywood County and a son of the late Richard and Thelma Silvers Woody.  He was descendent of Cataloochee Valley.  When the national park was formed, his dad, at the age of three, left Cataloochee and settled on Cove Creek and then in Hemphill.  MB Haynes was his employer for 16 years, but he retired from Dayco with 24 years of service.  Claude enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, digging ginseng and ramps.  He loved NASCAR, gardening and was known for his cooking.  Claude’s children and grandchildren were his greatest joy. Claude was a United States Army veteran.

He is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Elva Russell Woody; two daughters, Jennifer Duffield (Arnold) and Claudette Woody; a sister, Patricia Gaddis; brother, Tommy Dale Woody; five grandchildren, Savanna Rayburn, Levi and Autumn Duffield, Jakob and Jordan Rathbone; two great-grandchildren, Logan and Mason Rathbone, whom Claude called Catfish and Bullfrog; his special dog, Lady; and several nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 14, 2022 in the Waynesville Chapel of Wells Funeral Home.  Burial will follow at Garrett-Hillcrest Memorial Park with military honors.  The family will receive friends from 12:30 until 2:00 p.m. prior to the service at the funeral home. Serving as pallbearers will be, Arnold and Levi Duffield, Jacob Rathbone, Keith James, Tommy and Terry Finger, Little Bill Messer, and Albert Russell.  Honorary pallbearers will be Marvin Sheehan, Ray Bryant, James Silvers, Jordan Rathbone, Richie and Scotty Gaddis.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the V.A. Medical Center Voluntary Service, 1100 Tunnel Road, Asheville, NC  28804 or to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, 1702 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC  27699.

The care of Mr. Woody has been entrusted to Wells Funeral Homes and an online memorial register is available at "Obituaries" at www.wellsfuneralhome.com