Rita Mahan Woodruff's Obituary
Rita Mahan Woodruff was born October 19, 1933, to Maurine Powell Mahan and Jimmie D. Mahan at the family home on Graybill Road near Westminster, Texas. She died on August 20, 2024, in Dallas with her daughter, son-in-law and brother at her bedside. A life-long Texan, she attended Westminster schools graduating as salutatorian in 1950. She married Billy J. Woodruff on January 11, 1957. He preceded her in death two years to the day, August 20,2022.
Rita worked for forty years as an administrative secretary for Commercial Credit before retiring in 1989.
In 1981 she and Billy established a highly successful Ambulance Company. In partnership with their daughter Terri and her husband Lester, they grew a company from a single ambulance to an entire fleet of over 25 vehicles with almost 50 employees. A-1 Ambulance served the greater Dallas metropolitan area for 15 years before the family sold the company to a large, international firm. Rita's work life spanned more than 50 years.
In addition to her parents, she is predeceased by her sisters, Jo May and Jimmie Griffin.
Survivors include her daughter, Terri Johnson and her husband Lester of Dallas, her brother Budd Powell Mahan and his partner, LD Carter, all of Dallas, two nieces, a nephew and many other extended family members.
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