By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Ron Woofter knows basketball, bridge, and business. He’s a lifelong learner and knows that a little generosity can make a big difference on the road to success.
Although he is uncomfortable talking about his philanthropy, Woofter can describe the exact moment he decided not to hoard his money. The idea came to him in college when he saw the final scene of the black-and-white classic “The Road to Happyness” starring Bing Crosby.
The film’s central premise is that people are rewarded for “what we do for others.” Woofter occasionally watches the film at Turner Movie Classics and is moved every time.
Woofter, 85, of Bowling Green, doesn’t do anything half-heartedly – even when it comes to helping others.
After graduating from Ohio Northern University in 1961, he taught for a few years, then joined the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam, leaving after seven years with the rank of captain. When he returned home, Woofter sponsored two Vietnamese refugees into adulthood – and remains friends with them to this day.
Woofter earned a master’s degree in educational administration from BGSU and became president of Luckey Oil Equipment Company, which he purchased in 1982. He led the company until his retirement in 2013.
He approaches his hobbies with the same conviction.
An avid bridge player, he has achieved the rank of Gold Life Master in the American Contract Bridge League. He was once a fixture in local theater and had a talent for humorous roles. He also volunteered for projects at Crim Elementary School through his church, First United Methodist.
Woofter takes half-hour walks every day, plays the piano, does crossword puzzles, enjoys reading biographies, and has spent the last few years trying to learn Spanish—which has proven more difficult than expected.
Woofter also approaches his role as a sports fan with enthusiasm, and here he has found a way to help athletes succeed on the field and in life.
When Woofter was asked to help fund a new scoreboard for the Bowling Green High School basketball team in the early 2000s, he decided to send a check and attend some of the team’s practices and games.
That was 20 years ago and Woofter is still sitting in the stands cheering on the Bobcats.
Von Graffin was head coach when Woofter first became the team’s biggest fan. It was clear he loved the sport he had played decades earlier at his school in Hartford, Ohio, where 21 students graduated from his class.
“Ron has been very welcoming,” Graffin said. “He can name a lot of players, dates and team names. He loves the game.”
Woofter was a loyal supporter of the Bobcat basketball team as well as the Bowling Green State University basketball and football teams.
“Whether it was a win, a loss or a draw, Ron came to the games,” Graffin said.
Since he doesn’t have any children himself, Woofter decided years ago to help other young people.
“Every year he would write the team a check” that would provide basketball shoes and sweatsuits for all the players, Graffin said. “Ron Woofter took care of these young men.”
“I can’t pay for my own children to go to college,” Woofter said.
Woofter’s generosity also extends to the young athletes: many of the older students invited him to their graduation ceremonies.
“Not everyone wants to invite an old man,” Woofter said.
But Graffin said as graduation approaches, “Ron is everywhere.”
Even after the young men finished their Bobcat basketball seasons, Woofter was known to continue to help – for example, as part of ONU’s “Forward Together” campaign, where he established a charitable gift annuity to fund a scholarship in honor of his parents.
The gifts can be used for school or other expenses.
“There are no strings attached,” Woofter said. “If there were, it wouldn’t be a gift.”
In some cases, Woofter – who has adopted the team – is later adopted by the families. He is often invited to weddings and is a regular at the Graffin family Christmas parties.
“It’s a real honor,” said Woofter. And it tasted good, too. “Mother makes the best rum balls.”
Graffin said Woofter has become a member of the family.
“He is a great addition to the family,” he said.
“There are so many takers in our society,” Graffin said. “Ron is a giver of time, money and knowledge. He didn’t want anything back from the kids. He only got something back by giving.”
“Ron is a real giver,” Graffin said.
