Woodley Albert Long

Woodley Albert Long was born June 5, 1929, to Albert and Effie Long in the Corinth community of Leon County, Texas. He was the youngest after his brother, Harold (wife, Daisy) and sister, Velmarie or Polly, as she was called (husband, Earl). He lived his whole life in Leon County, except for a short time spent in San Antonio as a teen. He graduated from Buffalo High School and was a crack softball (baseball) pitcher, turning down a scholarship to play in favor of staying home farming and ranching with his family.

Woodley survived a gunshot wound to the chest as the result of a hunting accident at age nineteen, carrying the shot embedded in his chest his entire life. He continued to farm and ranch with his father and brother, growing watermelons that were trucked across Texas. He was the "favorite" uncle to his five nieces, taking them to the movies and on drives.

Those nieces lived in Houston and introduced Woodley to their church teacher, Linda, and the rest is history. Woodley and Linda married in 1967 (at the tender ages of thirty-eight and twenty-eight!), and they started their family in Leon County soon after that. Woodley continued to farm and added raising layer chickens to his resume.

One of Woodley's favorite things was attending his daughters' school activities. He even became a school bus driver so he and Linda could go along on football games as Marie and Robin participated in marching band and flag corps. He thoroughly enjoyed his daily bus route and loved getting to know the children he drove to and from school.

Marie married RC Dittmar and Robin married Richard Little, together giving Woodley and Linda six grandchildren and one great-granddaughter: Trent Little, Ashton Seaton (husband, Jonathan), Ben Dittmar, Mollie Dittmar, Garrett Little and Trinity Little (fiancée, Randy). One of his greatest loves was his great-granddaughter, Alexandra Seaton.

In addition to raising the sweetest watermelons, Woodley enjoyed playing dominoes, especially 42. He was proud of all his children and grandchildren accomplished and loved attending their concerts and sports events, no matter how far away. Woodley was a natural salesman, even selling ribbon cane syrup on the roadside when there wasn't any produce to peddle!

Above all, Woodley loved God, telling anyone who asked that he talked to Him (as he pointed toward the sky) every single day. He studied his Sunday School lesson each week, read a daily devotion with Linda and continued to watch church services online.

Woodley passed away peacefully at home on January 5, 2026, with Linda, his wife, of fifty-eight years by his side. He would leave you with this advice: Live Right, Do Right and Be Right.

A special thanks goes to all the people at Solaris Hospice for taking wonderful, compassionate care of Woodley and allowing him to live in dignity with his family at home.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to First Baptist Church, Buffalo -- Children's Ministry designated fund.

A funeral service honoring Woodley's life will be held 11 A.M., Thursday, January 8, 2026, at First Baptist Church, Buffalo, Texas followed by interment in Buffalo Cemetery. A brief visitation will take place at the church prior to the service at 10 A.M.

Final arrangements are under the direction of Walters' Buffalo Funeral Home, Buffalo, Texas -- A Walters Family Funeral Home.