Nancy DeGennaro|Murfreesboro Daily News Journal
Longtime Murfreesboro businessman and philanthropist John "Bubba" Woodfin has died.
Known for his homemade cornbread and compassion for others, the 85-year-old Army veteran was a fourth-generation funeral director of Woodfin Chapels in Rutherford County.
"First thing in morning ... before he ever got dressed ... he'd make the cornbread. ... By the time he got to thechapel, it was warm and yummy," said Shannon Parsons, who worked side-by-side with her father at the funeral chapel. "He'd put it in the family's car for them to take home."
Making cornbread for grieving families was "dad's special touch,his special way of showing ... kindness to every person," daughter Ashley Backer said.
Family was everything
"What we hear so much is people talking about when their loved ones died and what compassionate care dad took of them and their families, and how good he was to them," Backer said.
Family was everything— the four girls he raised with wife, Kay Woodfin: Parsons, Backer, Melissa Comb and Kit Ramsay.
He expected a lot of his daughters, their ages within five years of each other, and ran a "tight ship."
"He was a disciplinarian," joked Backer.
"And we couldn't get away with anything," chimed in Ramsay, noting that everyone knew Woodfin, so eyes were on them.
But he loved the girls dearly, instilling lessons of integrity and kindness that would carry them into adulthood, Comb said.
An adventurous spirit enriched the Woodfins' lives. And when they were away from the demands of work, the girls and their mother got to enjoy his full attention.
There were many holidays where the head of the table would be absent, sharing his gift of kindness with those families burying loved ones.
But a trip out West in an RV was one of the most memorable times for them. They traveled to11 states, including a visit to a dude ranch, Pike's Peak, Dodge City and the Grand Canyon.
In the wake of Woodfin's death, community members have shared their own remembrances.
Those Woodfin served at the funeral chapel became family, too.
"If we had a service or arrangement, Dad would come in and he made you feel like you were the only person in the room," Parsons said. "He was there for however long you needed to be. He was never in a hurry. He spent time with every family."
His service to families didn't end with the funeral. With every one, he'd call to check on them afterward, Parsons said.
'Everybody's got a Bubba story'
"The thing we hear most is ... everybody's got a Bubba story," Ramsay said, "and (people) loved him dearly."
And Woodfin loved his community.
There were countless philanthropic endeavors, and his efforts were often recognized. The Woodfins were named the 2009 Heart Ball Honorees and the 2014 Philanthropists of the Year for Saint Thomas Rutherford Society.
The Woodfins were also staunch supporters of Middle Tennessee State University, a gesture not lost on university President Sidney McPhee.
“He and his wife, Kay, have supported a wide range of activities on our campus, from our tennis program and Blue Raider athletics to scholarships in the School of Nursing," McPhee said. "They were among the first to respond in establishing an permanent emergency loan fund to ensure that unexpected life events wouldn’t derail students in pursuit of their goal of a college degree."
The MTSU presidentand his wife, Elizabeth McPhee, considered Woodfin a "dear, personal friend." Every year he drove the vehicle that carried the McPhees in the university's homecoming parade.
Woodfin's charity went beyond the university. His civic involvement included a 60-year membership in the Murfreesboro Noon Rotary Club, and served as a past president and Paul Harris Fellow.
Parsons said her father was "one of the most giving people" she's ever known.
And his only enemies were arthritis and breathing problems that interfered with the day-to-day, Parsons said. Butretirement was not an option for Woodfin, or something he desired to do. He was at home serving families at the funeral home.
"He could be in terrible pain and he'd make himself get up and get dressed, whether he could drive himself or not. Then he'd have one of the boys from the chapel pick him up. The last couple of weeks we could see the decline," Parsons said, her voice softening as she remembered her father's strength. "He never once complained."
Staff at Woodfin Chapel in Murfreesboro helped take care of their beloved boss, Parsons said, "when he needed it."
"It was a mutual affection and respect," Parsons added.
That respect carried over into his friendships. Longtime friend Craig Lynchsaid Woodfin “lit up a room” when he walked in.
“He was just a person you wanted to be around. He was not a negative person,” Lynch said.
Woodfin was afunny person and "loved to pull practical jokes and he didn’t mind when some were pulled on him,” Lynch said.
Lynch and Woodfin were part of a group of outdoorsmen who shared a close camaraderie, and “he’s going to be missed.”
"If they’d had an open service, they’d have had to have it in (MTSU's) Murphy Center," Lynch said.
But due to COVID-19 restrictions,the funeral service is limited to family, like all the others served by Woodfin Chapel during the pandemic.
To allow the community to pay respects to Woodfin, a public graveside service at Evergreen Cemetery on Greenland Drive in Murfreesboro will be held at noon Wednesday, July 8. The public is invited to attend, with social distancing requested.
Reach reporter Nancy DeGennaro at degennaro@dnj.com and follow her on Twitter @NanDeGennaro. Keep up with restaurant news by joiningGood Eats in the 'Boro (and beyond) on Facebook.
