Beulah "Boo" Marie Woodfin

Beulah Marie “Boo” Woodfin, of Paw Paw, Michigan, passed away peacefully at the age of 88 on March 1, 2025. Born on June 22, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois, she was the beloved daughter of Alma Curiel Woodfin and James Rice Woodfin, and sister to Edward John Woodfin, Sr. 

A woman of remarkable intellect and passion, Beulah was a graduate of Vanderbilt University, later earning her doctorate from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and pursuing postdoctoral work at the University of Michigan. Beulah began a distinguished career as a professor of biochemistry at the University of New Mexico in 1967, where she inspired generations of students before retiring in 2001.

Beyond her professional achievements, Beulah lived a life filled with adventure and artistic appreciation. She found great joy sharing her love of opera and symphony performances. Her appreciation of nature was equally profound. A dedicated skier, and an early member of the Sitzmarkers ski club, she spent many years exploring the slopes and helping to organize memorable outings. She was also a licensed pilot, proudly flying in a co-op for many years. Her adventurous spirit led her across the globe as an accomplished traveler, always eager to experience new cultures including Nicaragua, South America, Europe, Japan and Antarctica. Equally as passionate about sports, Beulah was a UNM Lobos women’s basketball season ticket holder and cheered for anything UNM Lobos related. She also closely followed Vanderbilt Commodores football, baseball, and could usually be found watching the Detroit Tigers with a cold beverage in hand.

Beulah will be dearly missed by her nieces, Lisa (Woodfin) Mearing, Mary Patricia (Woodfin) Petrillo, Kathleen Ann (Woodfin) Estkowski, her nephew, James Rice Woodfin, and 8 great nieces and nephews who will forever cherish her legacy of curiosity, intellect and recall of family of history. She was preceded in death by her nephew, Edward John Woodfin Jr., who shared her love of sports and Pueblo life.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Saint Rose of Lima Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on Friday, May 16th, 2025, at 11:00 AM. She will be laid to rest following the service at Woodfin Cemetery in Shelbyville, Tennessee

In Lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Beulah’s memory to the University of New Mexico School of Medicine (https://hsc.unm.edu/medicine/alumini-giving/), Vanderbilt University (https://giving.vanderbilt.edu/ways-to-give/) or Corso Care Hospice, 950 Corporate Office Drive Suite 150, Milford, MI 48381 (https://ww.corsocare.com/hospice/)