Linda Henderson Woodley

Linda Henderson Woodley was born on August 14, 1963 to Lindsay and Mary Lou Henderson in Richmond Virginia. She was a product of Richmond Public Schools having graduated from George Wythe High School in 1981. She obtained a B.A. in Journalism from Radford University and M.A. in Adult Education from Central Michigan University. She married her best friend and soul mate, Jesse “Jay” Woodley, in a candlelight service in 1997. Linda committed her life to Christ on the last Sunday of December in 1985 when she joined New Light Baptist Church, under the pastorate of Rev. Michael V. Kelsey, Sr. While a member of New Light, Linda served as the church secretary for Rev. Verlin D. Williams and Rev. Walter L. Smith, Jr. She was chairperson of the Women’s Ministry, having initiated the annual Women’s Day Prayer Breakfast and coordinated the early women’s retreats. She sung in the Sanctuary and Mass choirs. She was also active with the Christian Education Ministry, where she assisted with planning the Community Fair. Linda and Jay joined Rising Mount Zion Baptist Church in New Kent County, under the pastorate of Rev. Rudolph V. Sykes, Jr., where Jay served as musician. She was a member of the Gospel Chorus. Linda’s professional life focused on college financial aid, higher education and access. She served as a financial aid officer at Kee Business College. From 1986 to 2004, she held various positions at the Virginia Education Loan Authority, Virginia Student Assistance Authority, State Education Assistance Authority, which eventually became Education Credit Management Corporation. Most recently, she served as the Director of Private and Out-of-State Postsecondary Education for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). She was blessed to work with a phenomenal group of women at SCHEV, all of whom she truly admired. Linda enjoyed her position as an Access Advisor for the GReater Aspiration Scholarship Program (GRASP), which she was affiliated with since 2000. She was active in the Virginia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (VASFAA), where she initiated the organization’s annual Super Saturday event. She was also one of the founding board members of the Virginia College Access Network (VirginiaCAN), serving as its secretary and helping to plan its annual conferences. Linda viewed her work in assisting students explore the opportunities available for postsecondary education and secure the funding to attain their goals as a ministry. Linda was also an avid reader and enjoyed traveling and shopping. Left to cherish Linda’s life include her husband of 17 years, Jesse “Jay” Woodley; two sons, Rasheed Woodley (Theresa) of New Rochelle, NY and Andre Baldwin (Ashley) of Richmond; daughter, Sarah Woodley of Bronx, NY; parents, Lindsay W. Henderson and Mary Lou Henderson; four brothers, Lindsay, Jr. (Margaret), Michael (Angela), James and Kelvin, all of Richmond; two sisters, Vanessa (Earl) of Richmond and Joyce (Lawrence) of Raleigh, NC; mother-in-law, Gladys Woodley of New Rochelle, NY; 4 sisters-in-law, 3 brothers-in-law, 10 grandchildren, 5 nieces, 7 nephews; one godson, Travis Moody; goddaughter, Brandis Boyd, and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, co-workers, colleagues, and special friends including life-long friends, Evangeline Hornes-Thompson, Sharon Bassard, Theresa Boyd, Deborah Day and Sheree Foster, as well as her life coach/mentor, Janet King.

Tributes

Linda Henderson Woodley

August 14, 1963 - January 10, 2013