Woodrow William (Woody) Templer

Woodrow William (Woody) Templer, age 96, passed away on Sunday, March 18, 2012 at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence, Kansas. Woody was born June 24, 1915 at Emporia, Kansas, the son of Chester Arthur & Pearl Shannon Templer. He had been a Lawrence, Kansas resident since 2007 moving from Leoti, Kansas, where he had served as Principal of Wichita County High School beginning in 1951 and retiring in 1982 as Superintendent of Schools for USD 467. Woody spent his youth in the towns of Greeley, Asherville, Bird City, Stockton and Moline, Kansas, graduating from Moline High School in 1930. He graduated from Kansas State University in 1936 with a Master’s Degree in Education and later earned a Master’s Degree in History in 1940. While at KSU, he served as a member of ROTC. In 1936, Woody taught in the Attica, Kansas school system and in 1940 joined the United States Army serving until 1946, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He was awarded the American Defense Medal, the American Theater Medal, and the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal. He then served as Principal of Paxico, Kansas K-12 school system and the Barnes, Kansas K-12 school system until beginning his career in Leoti, Kansas. Following retirement, he served as Leoti City Treasurer from 1993 through 2003. Woody was instrumental in the design and construction of the Wichita County Country Club, where he was a charter member. He was a member of the United Methodist Church, where he served as an usher for many years. He also held membership in the National Education Assn., the Kansas National Education Assn., Kansas State University Alumni Assn., and Rotary International.
On June 8, 1941 he married Alice Lucille Robbins at Larned, Kansas. She passed away on April 24, 2010 at Lawrence, Kansas.
Woody’s surviving family includes: two children, Patricia Hart, Lawrence, Kansas, and Bill Templer, Siloam Springs, Arkansas; four grandchildren, Derek Hart, Lawrence, Kansas, Heather Motzny, Cypress, Texas, Dr. Geri Hart, Hutchinson, Kansas, and Ryan Templer, Siloam Springs, Arkansas; and four great-grandchildren, Maddie Motzny, Kenzie Motzny, Remy Kulick-Hart and Roman Kulick-Hart.
His parents, wife, brothers Adrian “Temp” Templer and Floyd Templer, and a grandson, Nathan Templer, preceded him in death.
Memorial services will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, March 31, 2012, at the United Methodist Church in Leoti, Kansas with the Reverend Mike Howard officiating. Inurnment will be in Leoti Cemetery.
Memorials may be given to the W.W. Templer Education Scholarship Fund in Care of Price & Sons Funeral Home, P.O. 161 Leoti, Kansas 67861.