David Woody. A friend, a father, a beloved husband, but to most, the teacher they will never forget.

Picture this, you walk into room 143N, you look around to see WVU memorabilia and Pink Floyd posters on the walls. You sit in your seat and the bell rings. Mr. Woody enters the classroom. The start of class is always the same. “Close your eyes, take a deep breath…”

Woody taught at PHS since 2013 and retired in 2022. He died April 21 at his home in Morgantown, but his memory still makes an impact on his students daily. From the small meditation before the start of class to lessons on how to visualize intentions, he forever changed the minds of his students. 

“He took a look at my notes and fixed my spelling and shortened all my notes into key words, seeing that I clearly knew what I was doing but being dyslexic, my notes were wonky. So, after that he completely changed my view on how I study and brought the light back for me,” said senior Emma Sasyn, who had Woody over three years for World History, Psychology and Sports Psychology classes.

Students who had Woody in class said he was the kind of teacher who made sure everyone was always included. He would say that he would try to make eye contact with all his students while he was teaching to create a more personal effect. He would call on all the students and answer any questions no matter how “stupid” the questions might have been.  

“For many years, I worked down the hall from Mr. Woody. He was an extremely dedicated teacher. He wanted students to think about the topics presented in class and how these topics affect their ideas and lives outside of class,” said English teacher Linda Hindman.

Woody was the kind of teacher who knew his students before they opened up, which they always ended up doing. He was a teacher students felt safe talking to about personal things, and he always knew what to say.  

“He was a teacher you could go talk to about anything and he would be straight upfront with you about what he thought. He gave good advice, made you feel you were safe when in his class,” said Sasyn.

He wasn’t just a teacher for the students but a teacher for the teachers. He was always out in the hallways talking to other teachers, or in the Student Service Center chatting with the counselors. Woody was also part of the faculty band, Dad Shoes, where he played the saxophone. 

“He believed that teachers impact their students to become better individuals and citizens of the world. His passionate endeavors will be missed,” said Hindman.