Linda Faye Graff Woolf was born on May 27, 1941, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Eva and Lloyd Graff. She grew up in Forrest City, Arkansas, graduating at the head of her class. She earned a BA in English at Harding College. After graduating, Linda moved to Huntsville, Alabama, where her parents were living. She went to work at Teledyne Brown Engineering as a technical editor/writer. While riding her Honda 50 motorcycle to work, she was hit by a cement mixer driven by an unlicensed driver. Her settlement from the lawsuit helped pay for her master’s degree in English at the University of Alabama. While working on her master’s, she met and fell in love with Lee Woolf, another graduate student in English. Lee and Linda were married in June of 1967. They settled in Huntsville, where Linda worked at Sperry Rand and Lee taught at Calhoun Community College. When Lee was ordered to active duty by the Army, Linda, by now pregnant with her first son Ben, gamely made the move to Fort Gordon, Fort Sill and Fort Eustis, Virginia. Linda gave birth to Ben at Fort Eustis. When Lee got orders for Vietnam, they settled Linda and Ben in Huntsville near Lee’s parents, Herb and Bea Woolf. Though this was a retched time for all, especially Linda, they made it through and were reunited when Lee came home in 1970.
Linda insisted that before their second son was born that they buy a house suitable for their growing family. With Lee’s parents’ help, they bought a four-bedroom, tri-level on Skyline Drive in northwest Huntsville. Ben and his new little brother, Marcus, grew up on Skyline enjoying their nearly half-acre yard.
When Marcus was two years old, Linda went back to work for Teledyne as a writer/editor. She hired Georgia Caldwell, a jewel of a person, to help look after Ben and Marcus. Georgia’s kindness and steady hand showed the boys how to treat people.
Linda loved her work writing and editing proposals for contracts supporting U.S. Army and NASA missions. Among her more interesting efforts was her work on Skylab. She ended up with a complete set of Skylab crew transcripts, which she eventually donated to the technical library at Marshall Space Flight Center. Linda worked for Teledyne for more than 30 years. Had she come along later, she would most likely have been an engineer.
In her early married life, when money was tight, she wanted a vanity for the downstairs bathroom. She went to trade school, took a woodworking course, and came home with a router. She handed it to her husband and said, “Sit down; you’re about to learn something.” The vanity worked out fine.
Linda’s heart was as good as her mind. She was a Cub Scout den mother, a hauler of Little League and soccer teams, and the best costume maker any kid could want. Her early ‘70s Batman and Robin suits were works of art. She wasn’t a slouch at making pop-up books, either. Born with an adventurous spirit, Linda loved exploring the trails of Monte Sano Mountain, often hiking solo. She also loved to travel and organized family trips to England, France, and Ireland.
As the boys grew older, their teenage friends seemed to see Linda as a surrogate mother. She listened to them and didn’t judge them. Some called every Mother’s Day.
Linda Woolf was a remarkable woman in many ways. When her time came for passing, fourteen of her “children” came to stand by her bed and say goodbye.
Visitation will be Friday, April 14, 2023, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at Laughlin Service Funeral Home. The funeral service will follow at 2:00 p.m. with Pastor Sherry Birney officiating. Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
