Submitted by Family
Gregory Woodell, age 79 of Bentonville, went to be with the Lord on March 2nd at Mercy Hospital in Rogers, AR after a short battle with an aggressive cancer, which began in his lungs. He died peacefully surrounded by his kids and grandchildren.
Greg was born on December 6, 1945, in Portland, Oregon, the youngest of five siblings. He served his Nation as an Army Sergeant during the Vietnam War, where he was decorated with four medals. Upon his return from the war, he married Beverly Sarten, and they had two children, Bill Woodell and Jennifer Pollet. While working and raising children, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Cal State LA in 1975.
He retired after 43 years of service with Los Angeles County in various roles. Most notably, he worked as a beach planner, contributing to the development and maintenance of 31 miles of public beaches operated by Los Angeles County. During this time, he was the founding President of the California Shore & Beach Preservation Assoc. (1980-88) and President of American Shore & Beach Preservation Assoc. (1995-2002).
After retirement in 2017, he moved to Bentonville, AR to be near his children and grandchildren, where he enjoyed being with his family, traveling the world, and attending regular church services. Greg was also proud of his Scottish and Native American heritage and was the elder historian of the family, researching and documenting our rich family history. As a certified member of the Osage Nation, he was also invested in the prosperity of the tribe, contributing to the establishment of the Osage Nation Educational Scholarship in the 1980s, which enabled many in his family to pursue their post-secondary education.
While living in Arkansas, Greg found himself drawn back into public service and quickly made an impact in his local government. Among other voluntary and appointed positions, he was most recently serving Benton County of Arkansas as the Justice of the Peace for District 9, bringing his love for country and community to the position.
He was preceded in death by his three brothers: Bruce, Bill, and Barry Woodell, and his sister, Shelly Sloan. He is survived by his children, Bill Woodell & Jennifer Pollet of Bentonville, AR, his 12 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren, who loved him greatly and will miss him deeply.
