To My Dear Family and Friends

You are all here to celebrate my life today and what a beautiful life it has been because of each of you. All I can do is smile. But I need to ask you all a question, “You Good?” I’m good because God is good all the time, and all the time, God is Good. If you read my “About Delando” on my Facebook Page, I begin with these words “I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.” Thank you all for being a part of my life.

I was born on November 21, 1966 in Lynchburg, Virginia to my beautiful parents, Clyde and Mary Woody. During this time, I attended First Baptist Church of Coolwell, Virginia where I accepted Christ as my savior and was baptized. Our family would eventually move to Baltimore, Maryland where I was loved on by so many family and friends. My mother Mary made our home so welcoming that people always came by because it always felt like home. I attended and graduated from Northwestern High School where I learned so much about life, preparation, working hard and the value of being intentional with your time. I got involved in Airforce ROTC, the Math, Science, and Engineering Associations and I loved wrestling, football and track. Our authentic relationships produced a lifelong commitment to make time to get together as often as possible throughout our lives and you should too. I was very active in so many organizations and remember providing for the needy in my community. Our family also attended St. Paul Apostolic Church in Baltimore. I truly believe “Nothing is so broken that God can’t fix it” as posted in my January 30th Facebook.

After high school graduation, I attended Arundel Institute of Technology where I majored in draft and design. This planted the seed for furthering my education in the field of engineering. I would soon enroll in the University of Maryland Baltimore County where not only would I pursue engineering, but my life would be forever changed at 10:45pm on November 14, 1987. It was on this date, that I was number #3 on the Hazing Policy Line of 10 brothers who crossed the burning sands into the greatest fraternity in God’s earth, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., by way of the Zeta Upsilon Chapter. Through this community, I learned the value of Brotherhood, Scholarship and Service and how our motto “Culture for Service and Service for Humanity” continued to shape my passion for serving our community and always making time to be there for others. Time Value is one the core values in our fraternity and it is so important to value every moment which is a gift. In 1991, God blessed me with another gift, my daughter Delonda who I love. I love my Sands and my Blue and White Family and valued our time together at the homecomings, reunions, community service projects and of course the crabfests.

In 1995, another new season began in my life while I was working at the Hilton and Atlanta Airport where I met Denise. We were blessed by the Creator with amazing gifts with my sons, Demarco, Dalyn, and Darien. Around this time, I worked at the US Capitol Police Department in Atlanta and also served in US Army Reserve. I would soon get my CDL and have had a stellar career in the transportation industry as a Transportation Exec, Transportation and Delivery Manager and Supervisor and a Vice President of Operations. My wife and I were also successful business partners in our entrepreneurial ventures to help others with earning part-time income and to make the world greener, healthier and happier. It was during the early 2000’s when we relocated to New Jersey that I reconnected with our wondrous band of Sigma Men in the Kappa Upsilon Sigma Chapter where I was an active member and I would make sure my sons were also active in our Sigma Beta Club. I continued my passion for community service, mentoring and positively impacting our young men to reach their dreams and aspirations. My KUS brothers and my Sorors of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., have been a blessing in my life and I valued our time together. The Brotherhood of Sigma is authentic and time worthy. I believed God inspired me on a daily basis to encourage the world through my daily ‘Woody Facebook Affirmations.” I by no means was a perfect man for there is only one who walked this earth, but I strived to be a man who valued his time with others. Please take some moments to look at my FB posts over the years which I have left to encourage you. You Good?

I am predeceased by my brother Atiba Woody.

In closing this letter, to my mother Mary Woody, my father Clyde Woody (Marlene), my Sisters Teresa Johnson, Skyler Woody, Wanda Washington (Dean), Candace Howard, Natascha Woody, my brothers DeAngelo Woody (Donise), Aydethious Graham and Diwin Daley (my shadow), my daughter Delonda, my sons Demarco, Dalyn and Darien, my granddaughter Macyn Harper, my god-mother Cheryl Forbes, and all my family and extended family: My work has been completed. I know I will be missed by all of you who loved me. If no one told you that they love you today, I love you, Delando.