Woodrow W. "Woody" Isham died on December 15th, 2011, after a lengthy illness. Born July 2, 1918 in San Saba, Texas, he was the sole surviving child of James W. and Bennie McCarty Isham. He was one of six sons and three daughters.
Woody graduated from Weslaco High School and was awarded an athletic scholarship to Southwest Texas State Teachers College (now Texas State University), earning a Bachelor's Degree, and later, a Master's in Education. His prowess on the football field earned him the nickname, "Truck," and he was close to qualifying for the U. S. Olympics team in shot put, javelin, and discus. During World War II, Woody served as a Special Services Officer (1st Lieutenant) in the Army Air Corps in the Pacific Theater.
After the war, Woody coached high school athletics in Donna, Texas, where he met his wife of 64 years, Glenna Brantley. He also coached at Weslaco and Mission, and also served as principal at Mission Junior High School, before moving to Seguin in 1966. In his first year on the job in Seguin he helped usher in integration, serving as principal at Ball Jr. High School. He also served as the first principal of Briesemeister Middle School. He retired in 1980, and rejected a number of job offers in favor of work and play at the golf course at Starcke Park.
Woody was a lifelong athlete, officiating at basketball games and playing softball, concentrating on golf in his middle and later years. He was proud to have twelve undisputed holes-in-one, the last one occurring when he was 87 years old.
A faithful member of the First United Methodist Church in Seguin, Woody served as an usher for many years. In recent years he enjoyed weekly breakfast meetings with a group of friends. He is survived by his wife, Glenna; his daughter and son-in-law, Susannah and James Willms; two grandsons, Jimmy and Phillip; a large and loving extended family, and a host of friends. A memorial service will be held on Monday, December 19th at 2:00 p.m., at the First United Methodist Church in Seguin.
The family would like to thank Dr. Antonio Flores, Dr. Tony Tsen, Dr. Terri Quebedeaux, and their staffs, Guadalupe Regional Hospice Services, Advanced Home Health Services, Gloria Castellon, and all the other caregivers who helped Woody in his last months. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to First United Methodist Church Seguin, or another charity of your choice.