Tava Woodard Obituary

JOHNSON CITY - Tava Kristine Woodard of Johnson City, TN, passed away on June 2, 2023, when she was senselessly taken from this Earth. She was just 23 years old.

Tava was born on May 25, 2000 in Gloversville, NY. In her short life, she made a huge impact on the people she knew. She was a light in a dark room and a safe place for her friends to seek solace and respite. Tava loved animals and would help, or try to adopt, any and every dog she met. She had the biggest smile and most jovial laugh. Tava had a huge heart.

Tava loved to read. She was never without a book in her hand. She loved old bookstores and libraries and loved the smell of books. She loved Harry Potter and had read all of the books when she was eight years old. Tava had plans to write a book, a bestseller, and wrote short stories as a young child. She had a brilliant mind and a caring spirit.

Tava was a huge advocate for fairness in this world. She always stood up for the underdog. She never understood why things in this world could be so unfair, but she was so strong and never faltered and she shared that strength with those around her.

Tava loved her brother and sister more than anything else. She was two and a half years old when her baby brother was born. When she came to the hospital to meet him for the first time, she ran into the hospital room, jumped up on the bed where her brother, Jace, was being held by their mother and happily shouted, "JACE!", while giving him the biggest but most gentle hug. From that instant she loved and protected him always. She loved to snuggle and hug her little sister, Addie, even after they grew into "big kids" and then young adults. After Tava moved out on her own, every time she called her mom, one of the first things she would ask was, "How's Addie doing?"

Those left to cherish Tava's memory are her mother, Melissa Jones and husband Chris Jones; her father, Jason Woodard and fiancée Kristina Andreotti; her brother, Jace Woodard; her sister, Addison Blazer; her stepbrothers Zack Jones, Isaiah Jones and Lucas Jones; her grandparents, Darrell Moore and Nancy Rush, and Carol and Robert Abraham; her great-grandmother, Dorothy Moore; her uncle Bradley Moore and wife Christy Moore, her uncles Todd Woodard and Reece Woodard; cousins Kaylee Moore, Brody Moore, Nicole Woodard, Julia Woodard, Joel Woodard and Kenneth Woodard; and her person and very special friend, Mason Goddard; as well as numerous friends and co-workers. Tava is predeceased by her grandfather, Percy Woodard.

A Celebration of Life Service for Tava will be held on Saturday, June 10th, 2023 at 2:00 PM at Appalachian Funeral Home, 800 E. Watauga Ave., Johnson City, TN. The family will receive friends at 12:00 PM until the service hour. Everyone who knew or loved Tava at any point in her life, or death, is welcomed by the family.

In lieu of traditional flowers, the family requests potted plants and potted flowers, so that they may plant them in Tava's name and let her memory continue to grow eternally.

Condolences may be made online at www.wadugger.com. Arrangements by Woodall-Anderson and Dugger Funeral Home, 108 W. Watauga Avenue, Johnson City. 423-928-2245