Joseph Woolley

Joseph Tarbet Woolley

January 25, 1923 ~ September 6, 2018

Joseph Tarbet Woolley, 95, passed away Thursday, September 6, 2018, due to complications from surgery.

He was born January 25, 1923 in Denver, Colorado to Cloyd Forsyth Woolley and Florence Tarbet.

Joseph enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and later served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. On June 17, 1952, he married Marnette Reeder in the Logan Utah LDS Temple. She preceded him in death on January 24, 2013.

Joseph graduated from Utah State Agricultural College where he earned his Bachelor and Master Degrees prior to receiving a PhD from the University of California-Berkeley in 1957.

Joseph was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he served as President of Champaign Illinois Branch, Bishop of the Champaign Ward, and President of the Champaign Stake. He served in both the Jordan River LDS Temple, where he was also on the Executive Committee, and Salt Lake LDS Temple, and enjoyed many other teaching, service, genealogical, and administrative positions.

He worked as a plant physiology research agronomist in a joint position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Illinois Department of Agronomy for his entire career, from 1956 until retirement in 1989. Though his research topics were varied, his main interests were photosynthesis and the movement of water and nutrients within corn and soybeans.

Joseph was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather; a respected scientist; a faithful disciple of Christ; a voracious reader; a man of bottomless good will and boundless curiosity. He will be remembered by his family, friends, students, colleagues, and fellow church members for his gentleness, humor, forthrightness, willingness to serve, dedication to duty, equanimity, keen intellect, and unabashedly quirky personality.

He is survived by his children, David (Cyndie DeRidder) Woolley, Minneapolis, MN; Suzi (Ken) Campbell, Hooper, UT; Robert Woolley, Asheville, NC; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife and a son, Martin Woolley.

Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, September 11, 2018, at the Hyde Park Cemetery, 400 East Center Street, where military honors will be accorded. The family will meet with friends Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lindquist’s Roy Mortuary, 3333 West 5600 South.