Bessie Bare Woolf, age 96, of Winchester, Virginia passed away Sunday, January 14, 2018 at her home.

She was the wife of the late Sgt. F. L. Woolf of the Virginia State Police.

Mrs. Woolf was born February 10, 1921 in Lexington, the daughter of the late Ernest Newton and Cottie Reid Whitmore Bare.

She was a graduate of Lexington High School and Madison College, Harrisonburg.

She had done secretarial work in years past and was a homemaker. She attended Braddock Street United Methodist Church, Winchester, where she was a member of the Wesley and Golden Rule Fellowship Sunday School Class.

Mrs. Woolf was proud of the Shenandoah Valley and of growing up as part of a hard-working farm family in Rockbridge County. Throughout her life, she displayed a strong work ethic, was fiercely independent and believed in personal responsibility.

She took pride in her home and mowed the grass on her acre lot well into her 90s. For many years, she enjoyed long walks in her neighborhood and frequent visits to Lexington to see her brother. She also liked watching TV, reading books and keeping up with local and national events in the newspaper.

For most of her adult life, she enjoyed the friendships and fellowship among members of her Sunday school class. She also was a kind and generous person, whether it was helping out a family member or rewarding someone who gave her extra service. As a young mother, she donated time to the Cub Scouts and to school projects as part of the parent-teachers association. She also served in the Braddock Street Church nursery for nearly 20 years.

Bessie Bare was 22 and employed as a clerk in the Rockbridge County treasurer's office in 1943 when she married Francis Woolf, who was a trooper with the Virginia State Police. They met when Miss Bare was pulled over in a routine traffic stop by her future husband. The two lived briefly in Lexington and Strasburg before settling in Frederick County, where they resided for more than 60 years.

Surviving are her children, Mary Kathryn Woolf Bowers of Frederick County and Richard Lee Woolf and wife, Gwen of Spotsylvania County; one grandchild, Stacy Lynn Bowers Baggett and husband, David of Winchester; two great-grandchildren, Cailen David and Meredith Ainslee Baggett.

She was preceded in death along with her husband by her brother, James W. Bare; and her son-in-law, Merdie Bowers. The family will receive friends at Stover Funeral Home, 177 N. Holliday St., Strasburg, on Saturday, January 20 from 10 a.m. until noon with private graveside rites to follow at Riverview Cemetery, Strasburg. Memorials may be made to an area rescue squad or the American Diabetes Association.

You may sign the guest book and send condolences to www.stoverfuneralhome.com. Stover Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., Strasburg, VA is serving the family of Mrs. Woolf.