THE Penola and Coonawarra communities are mourning the loss of World War II veteran Stan Wooding.
Mr Wooding passed away on April 23, just shy of his 94th birthday.
Born in Loxton on May 8, 1926, he was raised on a small farm near Meribah with his parents and four older sisters.
Mr Wooding started his school life in Loxton before boarding in North Adelaide until the age of 14.
From there, Mr Wooding returned to his family’s farm to drive teams of horses with his father and remained in the region until the age of 17, when the family moved to Prospect.
While waiting to enlist in the Royal Australian Air Force, Mr Wooding worked at the metal manufacturing firm A.S. Simpson and Son, as well as picking olives for just one penny per pound.
The young Mr Wooding was enlisted in WWII in 1944 and spent two years and three months serving in the RAAF.
The leading aircraftman ended his service in 1946 and was offered a soldiers settlers block which he declined, saying others were more deserving.
Mr Wooding purchased an underdeveloped farm in Cadgee where he cleared the land by hand and sold tree stumps for firewood.
At a dance in Keppoch near Padthaway, Mr Wooding met the love of his life, Una Mitchell.
Sharing a mutual passion for dancing, the two married at a Catholic Church in Harrow, Victoria on February 14, 1947.
The newlyweds soon welcomed two girls Pauline and Colleen, born just 14 months apart.
In 1950 the family purchased a farm at Wrattonbully homestead and Mr Wooding started share farming with his father in-law and was in charge of milking cows.
Mr and Ms Wooding moved to “Green Gables” at Coonawarra in 1954 and welcomed their youngest children Peter and Carmel.
Mr Wooding was committed to dairy farming until his retirement in 1979 when his son Peter and his family took over the farm.
Known for his love of the Penola Eagles Football and Netball Club, Mr Wooding would leave home early each Saturday in order to snatch the best car spot to watch the game.
His hobbies included fishing for garfish in Kingston and travelling in his caravan.
Mr Wooding is remembered by his family as a kind, generous and gentle man who loved his children and grandchildren and was always up for a chat, song, dance, whistle, dance or a joke.
Ms Wooding passed away in 2015 and Mr Wooding is survived by four children, 14 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren.
The family described their father as a loved member of the community and a true gentleman and was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and respect for the World War II veteran.
Mr Wooding was commemorated in a private event at the Penola Cemetery on April 28.
