Cecil Leroy "Cec" Woodle Jr.

Cecil Leroy "Cec" Woodle, Jr., age 81, of Erie, Pa went to his eternal peace on July 22, 2021 while residing in Naples, Fla.

He was born on December 17, 1939 in Center Township, Indiana County, Pa, son of the late Cecil Woodle Sr. and Eleanor Jones Woodle of Homer City, Pa.

Graduates of Fort LeBoeuf High School and Erie County Technical School will read this announcement with a mixture of deep sadness and fond memories of “Mr. Woodle”.  He was a full-time educator for 39 years and through his wit, sarcasm, love, and respect, hundreds of students’ lives were bettered by knowing him.  His mantra: “Poor planning on your part doesn’t constitute an emergency on my part” wasn’t just a catch-phrase.  It was how he ran his classroom, how he raised his daughter, how he lived his life.  Whether he patiently taught a student to drive a vehicle or to type 70 wpm, to become masterful CPAs or business leaders, or to excel in graphic design or operate a printing press with great aplomb, there were few better teachers than Cec.  Even after his retirement, he awoke at the crack of dawn every weekday to make sure he took care of “his kids” as a school bus driver during his encore career.  In recent years, he took on what may have been his most important teaching role in life, that of “Poppy” to his favorite kid ever, six-year-old Autumn Rae.

Cec was also preceded in death earlier this year by his beloved wife and constant companion, Connie Woodle of Erie, Pa.  Together for almost six decades, it is no surprise that Cec ran home to his sweetheart “Con” so quickly after her departure. Soon some of his cremains will join hers in the Gulf of Mexico, taking them from Florida on home together to Lake Erie.  The remainder, along with those of Connie, will be interred alongside his parents in the Greenwood Cemetery in Indiana, Pa.

Cec is survived by his daughter, Kimberly (Douglas) Dye and granddaughter Autumn Rae of Naples, Fla., his brother Walter (Joyce) Woodle; and three nephews, Edward (Katie), Jim (Mandy) and Joe (Lisa) Woodle, all from areas surrounding Indiana, Pa. Cec is also survived by his sister-in-law, Christine Kierzek; three nieces, Kathi (Paul) Kinzig, Karen (J.C.) Hunter, and Kristina (Nick) Kierzek; and their terrific sons.

“A teacher affects eternity: he can never tell where his influence stops.” –Henry Adams