George Leon Wooley's Obituary
George Leon Wooley was born on August 9, 1940, in Houston, Texas to Elmer W. Wooley, Sr. and Charlie Mae Philio Wooley. He came home to his older brother Elmer W. (Sy) Wooley, Jr. George attended Elementary school at the age of 4 and graduated from Phillis E. Wheatley High School at the age 16. He then followed his big brother to Prairie View A&M College where he ran the hurdles, joined the ROTC, and majored in Electrical Engineering (EE). George graduated at the age of 20 with a BS in Electrical Engineering.
George was an alumna of Prairie View A&M College (University). There he ran the hurdles, joined the ROTC, and majored in EE and graduated with a BS at the age of 20. He entered the Army in 1961 and served two years in the Washington DC area. George then attended Northeastern University in Boston before working for the National Security Agency (NSA) in 1963. During this dedication to NSA, he received a M.S. degree Engineering Administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and achieved the level of Chief Executive Officer. He commanded the 99th Army Reserved unit until NSA realized they needed more than the Reserve Unit. George retired from NSA on December 3, 2000. George was a member of the Class of !977 of the Army War College and served two years as second in command at Bad Aibling Station in the Early 1990’s south of Munich. He worked with his German Liaison and the German Community while there. George lived in Germany and worked at the Bad Aibling Station in Administrative Services. He attended meetings throughout Europe and traveled to Paris, London and Holland with his family.
His mentor, Lt. Gen. Julius Becton, a ROTC instructor at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) was always present when he received numerous awards at NSA. Michael V, Hayden, LT. General, USAF, NSA Director shared that “George L. Wooley, a member of the Senior Cryptologic Executive Service of the United States of America,” President William Clinton congratulated George on his retirement and indicated in his citation that “America’s tradition of hard work has made our country strong and you can be proud of your contribution to that legacy.” George and his former Prairie View roommate, George A. Gibson attended the Monterey Jazz Festival yearly with his wife Carolyn. Also, when the roommates visited Germany; they all attended a Jazz Festival in Switzerland. George was an avid skier and was a Ski Patroller in Germany and at Ski Liberty. He rode his bike daily, owned several boats and rental properties and served as mentor to Jordan Hull when he attended Wicomico High School in Wicomico County and has been part of his life since.
George Wooley taught Computer Science and Mathematics for ten years at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland beginning in August 2002. George was an Ordained Deacon in several Baptist Churches as he remained faithful to his upbringing when he attended Antioch Baptist Church, the oldest Historical Black Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. George met Winnie Vell Stokes on January 1962 graduate of PVAMU with a BS in Mathematics and Physics, who was in Graduate School at Virginia State College (VSC), Petersburg, Virginia in the fall of 1962 after a day of Deer Hunting with a bow and arrow, when he came to visit his cousin Wilma Jean White at VSC. George and Winnie were married on October 19, 1964, in Alexandria by Rev. N. Howard Stanton in Alexandria, Virginia.
George and Winnie purchased a house in Seat Pleasant, Maryland. In 1965, they lived there with their twin sons Michael-Leon Wooley, as an adult who became an actor of stage and screen, and attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, stared on Broadway and now lives in Toluca Lake, California where he works for Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner Brothers and the Cartoon Network. Michael-Leon is the voice of Louis the Alligator in the Disney movie, Princess and the Frog and you will hear him on Disney’s new ride opening in 2023 – the Bayou. Also, he starred in the reflex A-J and the Queen. Michael-Leon is also the voice of the AMC Theaters and is a graduate of Bowie High School in Prince George’s County Maryland. His other half and younger twin brother is Marcus Leon the Database Contractor. He is a graduate of Bowie High School and has attended Frostburg University and majored in Computer Science. Marcus played football and became an All American in Track and Field at the Penn State Relays in 1983 when his 4x400 relay team won the title. Marcus established his technology company MLW Solutions Inc., over 25 years ago. He owns and is captain of his boat Big Wooley Style, and is a member of Black Captains on the Chesapeake. Marcus lives in Annapolis Maryland with his wife Judy Laverne and daughter Victoria Kristin. Victoria is a sophomore at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, studying business. She is also CEO of MLW Solutions Inc. Our third son is George L. Wooley, Jr., a graduate from Suitland High School, Visual and Performing Magnet Program who lived in Germany while his father worked there. He traveled throughout Europe, attended the University, and returned to Florida to obtain degrees in Accounting. George lived in New Orleans and worked as a Restaurant Manager, surviving Katrina and many other storms victims before leaving the Bayou and moving to Chicago. He now resides in Chicago, Illinois.
George and Winnie traveled to every continents except Australia, their most memorable trips were to Egypt, the Holy Land, South Korea and Kenya. They also traveled on bus trips to Mt. Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, cruised to Alaska, stayed in Yellowstone National Park and took a train trip through Mexico to see their huge Grand Canyon. Since COVID they have been home in Maryland, visiting places like the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cambridge, Wallops Island Flight Center in Virginia and working in their Church Food Pantry for 15 years.
George and Winnie moved to Annapolis on April 9, 2022 and have enjoyed getting to know the city and reconnecting with friends. George Wooley died after a brief illness and leaves many other relatives, friends, NSA employees including his Godson Larry Shannon Jr., to remember all the wonderful days they spent together.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Donations can be made to the General Engineering Scholarship Fund, which all engineering disciplines have access to:
GENERAL ENGINEERING SCHOLARSHIP FUND
#557630
Object code: #0292
ATTN: Ms. Andrea Sankey
Vice President, University Development Office
[email protected] (936) 261-1550 (office)
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