02/28/2026
Samuel Ethan Woodall
Samuel Ethan Woodall, 26, of Winters, Texas, went to meet his heavenly maker on Friday, February 27, 2026, surrounded by his loved ones.
Sam was born in San Angelo Texas on March 7, 1999, to Michael and Stacey (Sharpes) Woodall. He was scheduled to arrive four days earlier on his father’s birthday, but he missed the memo, proving from birth he planned to do things in his own time and in his own way. It is only fitting that he will be laid to rest on his dad’s birthday almost twenty-seven years later.
Sam was a lifelong Winters Blizzard, starting school at Winters Elementary at the age of 4 and graduating from there in 2017. From High School he followed in his sister Hannah’s footsteps and entered Texas Tech University, earning a degree in Natural Resource Management with a concentration in Wildlife and Fisheries. While at Tech, he was an active member of the Farmhouse Fraternity. He passed away as a die-hard Red Raider, holding on through a winning Red Raider Football season just so he could watch the games with his dad. He never wanted to sit behind a desk, choosing instead to be in the great outdoors enjoying nature. Sam was a traveler at heart. He wanted to see the world, so naturally his first major job in his field led him fifteen hours away from his home town to Macomb Illinois, where he worked with the University of Illinois System, researching the Asian Carp invasion on the Mississippi River in an attempt to find a solution for eradication, ensuring our native fish populations for generations to come. He loved his job but hated the cold. He always said Illinois is where he “learned he was a Texas boy and always would be”. He wanted to fish in warm climates and had been planning his fishing spots all over the globe when he was diagnosed with cancer.
Fishing was not his only love. He loved stock shows, FFA, and 4H. He placed cattle in all the major shows in Texas. He served as FFA president for the FIRST FFA CHAPTER in the state of Texas and participated in Leaders For Life, Parliamentary Procedure, and judged livestock for his 4H Club. He played football and was the second baseman for his high school baseball team. Sam was a philosopher at heart. He loved a good debate covering many topics including history, military, politics, and religion. He always said he stored a huge amount of facts in his head the same way he shared in his Pop’s “Fiction and Facts Almanac”. He loved music and a good movie, always rooting for the underdog.
Sam was kind, gentle, and loved by all those who knew him. He sought out the least popular person, the one’s he saw struggling, and took them in, offering friendship and a safe place for those who needed it. His family meant everything to him. Grandson, son, brother, uncle, and friend were the titles he used to describe himself. He lived up to each with in an exemplary manner. The world will not be as bright without him.
Sam is preceded in death by maternal grandfather, Donald Ray Baker; maternal uncle, Clinton Ray Baker, and “uncle” Rodney Buxkemper.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Stacey Woodall; sister, Hannah Parker, and her husband, Jeff, of Belton, Texas; nephews Cash, Chantz, Charlie, and Clancy Parker; maternal grandmother Linda Baker of San Angelo; paternal grandparents David and Becky Woodall of Wagoner, Oklahoma; uncle Jason Sharpes and his wife, Melanie, of Ballinger, and cousins Kyle Nealey, Ryan Nealey, and Ayrn Yanez and their families; aunt Crystal Henderson Roberts and her husband, Scott; Jada Foster and her husband, Steve; and uncle Gene Henderson, all of Oklahoma; great-uncle Charles Manis of San Antonio; cousins Lainy Glaser of Temple and Erika Martinez and her husband, Jorge, of Lozono, Texas, along with their children Ashley, Chance, Abigail, Scarlett, and Hailey; godmother Laura Buxkemper of Norton and her children Jack Buxkemper and Joshua Jakotowicz; “aunt” Brandee Spray Smith of Ballinger and her children, Bryce and Jade; and many extended family members and friends.
A visitation for Sam will be held at Lange Funeral Home in Ballinger, Texas, on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm. Graveside services will follow at 3:00 pm at the Old Runnels Cemetery in Ballinger, Texas, with Pastor Jordan Burrell officiating.
Pallbearers are Jack Buxkemper, Joshua Jakatowicz, Ethan Bredemeyer, Marcus Mostad, Sean Mooney, Efrain Rodriguez, Dylan Bryant, and Nick Marin.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Winters Area Red Raiders Scholarship in memory of Sam Woodall. Make check to: Texas Tech Alumni and mail to P.O. Box 652 Winters Texas 79567 or use Venmo: WARR Winters.
The family wishes to thank Dr Hari Kalla, Dr Milus Davis, Jennifer Davis NP, Faith Parsons Social Worker, the entire Hendrick P7 staff, and Hendrick Hospice for the exceptional care Sam received during the last months of his life. Your prayers, love, and support saw us through the most difficult time in our lives. We are eternally grateful and forever thankful.
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