Doni Wood

    AUSTIN – Doni Louise Richardson Wood, passed on July 3rd, 2022, after contracting pneumonia.
    Doni was born on December 7, 1935 in Dawson, TX. Her parents, Sylvia and Samuel Richardson, moved to Lamesa, TX, where he became a farmer and later a banker. The family also owned a general store. Doni grew up in Lamesa, graduated from Lamesa High School, and won the Miss Lamesa Beauty Pageant.
    She pursued her dreams in Radio, Television and Film at the University of Texas in Austin. While at the University, Doni made several lifelong friends. She was a member of Alpha Chi Omega Sorority, made the Dean’s list, graduated with Honors and was named one of The University of Texas’ Ten Most Beautiful. 
    Doni loved music and worked at the Lamesa radio station on summer breaks. She met musical icons such as Buddy Holley and Elvis Presley at the beginning of their careers. In the summer of 1955 while playing a record named, “How to Catch a Man with the Minnie Pearl Plan,” Doni met her first husband, Ben Jones Woodson, Senior, a recognized University of Texas Longhorn football player. Later that year, they were married. 
    For several years, Doni and Ben were the Co-Publishers of the Del Rio News-Herald and many other small-town newspapers in Texas. After their divorce, Doni married Bill Nixon, an attorney and real estate developer in Del Rio, TX. They loved to travel and went all over the world together. When their marriage ended, Doni married William S. Wood, a WWII Vet who fought in the Battle of the Bulge. After his military service, Bill recruited college students for careers within the CIA. 
    Doni loved her family, close friends, and all humankind, and in return she was always surrounded by love. She was an active volunteer for several organizations. They included, among others, First Presbyterian Church, Meals on Wheels, University of Texas Alumni Association, Alpha Chi Alumni Association, Del Rio Val Verde County Hospital Board, and Del Rio Val Verde County League of Women’s Voters. 
    Doni is preceded in death by her parents, Sylvia and Sam Richardson; her sisters and their spouses, Geraldine and Charlie Meyer, Doris and Henry May, Senior; her husbands, Ben Jones Woodson, Senior, and William S. Wood; her stepson, Bob Wood; and her nephew, Richard May. 
    Doni is survived by her three children and their spouses: Ben Jones (Buck) Woodson, Junior; Laurilyn and Greg Wysocki; and Lance and Vanessa Woodson. Doni is also survived by her beloved grandchildren, Drake and Tanner Builta; Adleigh, Bridger, Coulter, Kara, and Jayben Woodson; and Sarah Wysocki. Doni is survived by several nieces and nephews: Jane Boothby, Henry May, Robert Meyer, Fran Ridings, Leslie Vanderpool, and Ashley, Brady, Lisa, and Tracey Woodson.
    She also developed a special bond with her devoted caregivers: Maria, Soleybi, Mary Jane, Maureen, Mary Ann, Rosie, Theresa, Juanny, Keri, and others at The Cottages at Chandler Creek. Justin, Daniel, Alex, Melissa, Chris, and Shawn with Divinity Hospice. Jeff Lum with Mobility Spine Specialist Physical Therapy.
    Funeral Services will be held on Saturday July 16th, 2022, at 3:30pm at First Presbyterian Church, 8001 Mesa Dr, Austin TX. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to First Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund or to the National Alzheimer’s Association. Cook Walden - Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home oversees the funeral arrangements. You can sign a guest registry and leave memories for the family there.
– Press-Reporter obituary services