LITTLE ROCK — In Mexico, some people may really believe they met the king of rock ’n’ roll, thanks to Bobby R. Woodard. Though he couldn’t speak a lick of Spanish, Woodard had about eight to 10 locals around him at a Mexican bar in the early 1970s, laughing up a storm.
“He thought that he looked like Elvis, so he would tell people sometimes that he was Elvis Presley,” said his daughter, Meredith Post. “There are people in Mexico that think they have Elvis’ autograph, but it’s BobbyWoodard’s.”
Woodard, a former county judge known for poking fun and lending a helping hand, died Sunday at Ozark Health Medical Center in Clinton from cancer.
He was 68.
The third oldest of 10 siblings, Woodard left school in the 11th grade to help his father build roads, including Interstate 40 from West Memphis to Little Rock, with various construction companies.
“He knew how to operate everything from dozers to draglines,” said his brother, Stanley Woodard. “He did just nearly everything on the roads.”
In addition to roadwork, Woodard also went on to build residential and commercial properties, and own a landscaping business, a paving company and Woodard Oil Field Services, where he built gas pads for Southwestern Energy.
“He could build a house from nothing to completion,” his brother said. “He could do the very basic work, building the foundation and the finish work, painting and all the little details. He was very good at landscaping, at building ... huge rock fountains. He was very, very knowledgeable.”
Woodard had a strong work ethic, whether he was paving a parking lot or waking up at 3 a.m. to make donuts at the donut and meat shop he owned for a few years in Higden.
“He had an entrepreneurial spirit,” said his son, Denny Woodard. “He liked to do new things, interesting things. That’s why he continued to evolve in what he did.”
A year after his election as Van Buren county judge, Woodard helped the city of Clinton bounce back after the devastating flood of 1982 that destroyed the town’s business district and downtown.
“The clean-up effort was enormous, [the FederalEmergency Management Agency] was involved,” his son said. “Dad was instrumental in trying to hold FEMA’s feet to the fire to help that community. ... He was always willing to lend a helping hand, especiallywhenever tragedy struck.”
As county judge, Woodard worked from “daylight to dark,” before and after the election, to better know his constituents, Denny Woodard said.
“I remember vividly going from coffee shop to coffee shop in Van Buren County,” his son said. “He’d literally just spend time with the people - talking to the people, learning about the issues and how he could impact them.”
Woodard lovingly teased the people he cared about, often telling the girls in his family, “You’re so pretty, your eyes just sparkle like cow manure,” his daughter said with a laugh.
Even in the most serious moments, Woodard would raise his eyebrows and get a tone in his voice before delivering a punchline that would “make you fall to your knees laughing,” Meredith Post said.
“We were sitting down talking about [funeral] arrangements. I didn’t want to do that,” his daughter said. “He said, ‘As far as burial goes, they have a place out there for me at Graceland, one reserved for me by Elvis.’”
Arkansas, Pages 12 on 01/23/2013