Donnie Wayne Woodrow

DONNIE W. WOODROW, 71, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, died on January 6, 2022 after a brief
illness.
Don was born on September 17, 1950, to James Robert and Carolyn DuPriest Woodrow. He was
the oldest of four children. He attended Herndon High School before transferring to George C.
Marshall High School in Falls Church, VA, where he graduated in 1968. Don liked to remind
people that these were the days when Tyson’s Corner had a four-way stop light, Topp’s Drive-In
was the place to hang out, and his blue 1968 Camaro was ready to take on all comers for a drag
race.
Don worked in local county government in the area of code enforcement for the majority of his
career. He began by inspecting roads and bridges for the Virginia Department of Highways and
Transportation then became a Senior Engineering Inspector for Fairfax County Virginia in the
Department of Environmental Management. It was during these early years when Don when
was doing inspections for what we now call the “mixing bowl” in the I-95/495 area of Northern
Virginia.
Don moved up quickly in his career, becoming Chief of the Permit Branch of Fairfax County in
1977, a job he held for nearly a decade. He managed five departments in the issuance of all
construction permits, licensing of contractors, and inspections in Fairfax County. During his
tenure, he was responsible for the implementation of the automated permit system and
inspection request system. He communicated with jurisdictions nationwide about the benefits
of automated code enforcement systems and received two national awards for his efforts.
After leaving Fairfax County, Don went to work for the National Association of Home Builders as
a Codes and Standards Specialist. He represented the Association at a variety of local, state, and
national meetings to present Association policy and brief attendees on current activities in the
area of codes and standards. During this time, his marriage to Jacqueline Payne ended in
divorce.
Don spent the last decade of his career working for Anne Arundel County, Maryland, including
work as the Chief of the Permit Application Center and as the Assistant to the Director of
Planning and Code Enforcement. It was while working for Anne Arundel County that he met his
future wife, Kathryn, who was working there as a temporary employee. They were married in
August 1999.
Don was an incredibly fast reader and loved to devour books on his Kindle. He loved fishing,
especially bass fishing, and enjoyed being a member of Fish On Bass Anglers (FOBA) in
Gaithersburg, MD, until his health would no longer allow it. He enjoyed poker, travel, golf, chili
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cook-offs, fishing expos, no destination drives, and weekly trips to the local flea market. What
Don enjoyed more than anything was his family. He loved any amount of time that he could
spend with any members of his family and he looked for as many opportunities as possible to
gather with them.
Don is survived by his wife, Rev. Dr. Kathryn Tarwater Woodrow; his grandchildren Colin
Woodrow and Sidney Goins, of the home; his siblings Susan Logan, Robin Blow (Jamie), and
Robert K. Woodrow; his daughters Julie Jones, Sarah Sbengheci, and Maggie Smith; his
grandchildren Gabriel Jones, Maddie Jones, Lucas Jones, Quinton Sbengheci, Jakob Woodrow,
Riley Smith, and Sawyer Smith; and great-grandson Chris. He is also survived by his cousin,
Douglas Dill (Emily), and many other special nieces, nephews, and cousins. Don was preceded in
death by his parents, James and Carolyn Woodrow; his daughter, Jessica Woodrow, died two
weeks after her father.
The family will hold a memorial service and celebration of life, followed by a reception, on
Saturday, March 26 at 1:00 p.m. at Damascus United Methodist Church, 70 New Church St.,
Damascus, MD 20872. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Damascus UMC or the
American Diabetes Association.