John Wooten

There is joy in heaven today because John Wooten is there. He passed from this life July 8, 2010 in Tyler. Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m., Tuesday, July 13 at Marvin United Methodist Church in Tyler. Officiants will be Dr. Stanley R. Copeland, Dr. John Robbins and Rev. Allison Thompson. Private burial services will be held at the Chandler Cemetery under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home. John was born September 25, 1931 in Tyler to C.R. and Eloise Wooten. Following graduation from Tyler High School, he attended TJC where he met Vida Jo Copeland. Their wedding in 1951 was the beginning of their marriage of more than 58 years. From TJC John went to Southwestern University which had offered him a football scholarship. His time there ended when he joined the U.S. Navy. During the two years that followed, he spent most of his time in the Pacific, mainly in Okinawa. By 1954 John was out of the military and had earned a BBA degree in marketing at Texas Tech University. Endowed with a strong work ethic, John became an employee of the Borden Milk Company while a student at TJC and returned to that company after graduating from college. He was promoted to plant manager in Tyler and later filled the same role in Jackson, MS. John established a dairy and beef cattle business in Chandler and operated it for several years. The horizons of the Wooten family, which included children, Cliff and Kristal, expanded when John worked in the oil and gas industry in many parts of the world for twenty years. He and Vida lived in Indonesia and Norway during his assignment as Lead Drilling Supervisor on offshore rigs in those areas. He worked in the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea, Egypt, Nigeria, Iran, Russia, Qatar, Australia and Yemen. While stationed in Norway, John worked on what was then the world's largest offshore drilling rig which included a hotel and a heliport. Following his retirement from Mobil, he was a consultant for special assignments and for some time continued his travels to farflung sites. John never stopped working. He simply channeled his high-octane energy into helping others after returning to Chandler and later when he and Vida relocated to Tyler. He was a member of Chandler United Methodist Church for more than 30 years and Marvin Methodist for the past 11. He served on the Administrative Board and the Board of Trustees, was Chairman of the Mission Team and a member of the Marvin Menders. He brought his infectious optimism, a variety of skills and his dedication to doing Christ's will to every task. John loved people. He served Chandler as mayor and a community volunteer. In Tyler he was a volunteer for St. Paul's Children's Foundation, Habitat for Humanity and East Texas Medical Center. He was interested in the humanitarian efforts of Mercy Ships. John enjoyed golf, wood turning, reading, Bible study, travel, and being with his friends and family. John is survived by a loving family that includes son, Cliff Wooten, and his wife, Judy, of Aberdeen, Scotland; daughter, Kristal Wooten Stafford, and her husband, Richard, of Cornelia, Georgia; grandchildren, Jennie Wooten, Rachel Wooten Fogle, Philip Wooten, Daniel Stafford and Kirk Stafford. Also surviving is John's sister, Edith Wooten Willman. Pallbearers include J.D. Arnold, Charles Boyd, Ewell Dickerson, Kyle McGill, Joseph Mitchum, and Richard Smith. Honorary pallbearers include Tommy and Caro Bartley, Ben Ferrell, J.D. Nantz, Madeline McCrary, the Marvin Menders, the Mission Team and Bruce Willman. The family is grateful to the many professionals who provided exceptional care and untold kindnesses during John's prolonged medical problems of the past year. The knowledge, skill, and compassion shown by Dr. Richard Anderson, Dr. Duane Andrews, Dr. J. Stuart Crutchfield and Dr. Don Richards will never be forgotten. The family appreciates the Pairs and Parents Sunday School class and the Marvin Prayer Warriors who gave prayerful support for many months and the staff at Hospice of East Texas who provided comforting care. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Marvin Menders or Missions at Marvin United Methodist Church, 300 W. Erwin St., Tyler, TX 75702. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m., Monday, July 12 at Stewart Family Funeral Home. A friend wrote of John's deeply-held faith, his trademark sense of humor and his joy in just being. These characteristics will continue to affect in positive ways all those who remember this very special man.

John Wooten

September 25, 1931 - July 8, 2010