Freddie Lee Woolfork, longtime public relations director for Gifford Youth Achievement Center and a towering figure in the Gifford community, died March 11 after battling an illness.

He was 74 years old.

Those close to Woolfork said they will remember him for his resilience, patience, understanding and spirituality. His influence and impact will be felt throughout Gifford and Indian River County for generations to come, community leaders said.

“He dealt with so many children. Without him, where would those children be?" said Tony Brown, president of the Indian River County NAACP chapter. “He helped make Gifford a better place.”

“Today, we lost a superhero," said retired Indian River County sheriff's deputy Teddy Floyd on the day of Woolfork’s death. “This is one of the saddest days of my life. It will be hard to fill his shoes.”

“His love for GYAC and the people of Gifford truly had no limits,” GYAC executive director Angelia Perry said in a statement. “While he will be deeply missed by all who knew and worked alongside him, his legacy will remain a lasting part of GYAC. He can never be replaced, and he will never be forgotten.”

Woolfork, born on Dec. 21, 1951, was a Gifford native who attended both Gifford Elementary School and Gifford High School during segregation. When Indian River County’s public schools integrated in 1969, Woolfork, along with dozens of other Gifford students, enrolled at Vero Beach High School.

When Woolfork graduated from Vero Beach High School in 1970, he headed off to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee. There, while earning his degree, he played the baritone horn as part of the internationally recognized Marching 100 Band, using skills he developed as a member of the Gifford High School Tigers Marching Band.

“He was a proud Rattler,” Brown said of Woolfork’s loyalty to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

After graduating from FAMU in 1974, Woolfork moved back to Vero Beach, where he worked at Piper Aircraft from 1974 to 1991. After that, he was employed at Metropolitan Life Insurance Company for six years.

Woolfork’s focus then turned to education and civil rights advocacy. He joined Gifford Youth Achievement Center – an afterschool center on 43rd Avenue that serves hundreds of children – as its first employee in 1997, one year before its grand opening.

“I’ve known Freddie since I was a child. He never met a stranger. He communicated with everybody,” said Dr. Deborah Taylor-Long, board chairwoman for GYAC. “He wanted to make sure Gifford residents weren’t treated as second-class citizens.”

Woolfork, who many described as an icon as well as a community servant, worked to make sure GYAC – which provides academic tutoring along with employability training – became a neighborhood pillar, offering resources and refuge to children.

Known to many as “Mr. GYAC,” Woolfork received the key to the city of Vero Beach in 2017 for his civic work. That same year, he was honored with a proclamation issued by the county commission and Vero Beach city council that recognized his longtime service at the center.

“It was joyful, enlightening and felt good,” Woolfork told Vero Beach 32963 at the time. “I’m still floating. It feels good to know the county and city recognize good work. But we’ve got a lot more work to do.”

“From the very beginning, he helped lay the foundation for the work we do today,” GYAC said in a statement. “His dedication, generosity of spirit, and unwavering belief in our mission helped shape this organization into what it is today.”

GYAC was created to boost a shockingly low, 25-percent graduation rate for Black students in Indian River County prior to its founding. Since then, the organization has helped increase that rate dramatically.

In 2025, 94 percent of Black seniors graduated with their classes, according to school district officials.

While Woolfork was immensely proud of what he often called the “miracle on 43rd Avenue,” his community betterment work extended beyond GYAC.

As a member of the Gifford Progressive Civic League, Woolfork helped organize the Gifford Neighborhood Plan to improve parks, sidewalks, streets, lighting and stormwater drains in the community. He also served on the board of directors for the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce for six years, relaying Gifford issues to the chamber, said Penny Chandler, former chamber president.

“He had a real gift for explaining issues in the community,” Chandler said.

Jonnie Mae Perry said Woolfork was instrumental in working with Indian River County historian Ruth Stanbridge to get the Historic Macedonia Church relocated from Sebastian to 45th Street in Gifford. The old church reopened as a small museum in 2018.

Perry, who oversees the site, said she and Woolfork hosted Christmas toy giveaways at the museum for the past eight years.

“He will be truly missed in Gifford and Indian River County,” Perry said.

Floyd said he and Woolfork organized turkey drives to help people in the community. The turkey giveaways, which began in 2006, aimed to bridge the gap between residents and law enforcement, Floyd said.

“He was always a friend and partner to our agency,” said Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers. “We remember him for his kindness and generosity, always giving to others and helping the community.”

“Freddie was the cornerstone in the community. He did things because he saw a need,” Floyd said. “I will remember him for his bright smile.”

Bill Penney, Florida Market President of Marine, a division of ELGA Credit Union, said he knew Woolfork for 40 years. Penney said Woolfork was a local treasure who had an immeasurable impact on young people and helped bridge the gap between white and Black communities.

“During our visits to GYAC, he always pointed out the kids did vegetables before dessert, meaning schoolwork before play,” Penney said. “He was an incredible fundraiser. I watched him in the room with significant local philanthropists. He would talk about the kids at GYAC and the philanthropists wrote checks – big checks.”

Woolfork often spoke of the power of listening to God, said his cousin Eric Seymour, a retired educator and former assistant superintendent for the School District of Indian River County.

“He talked about how forging relationships could move a mountain,” Seymour said. “He had so much information to share that would benefit anyone who had time to listen.”

“His faith and spirit compelled him to be the person he was,” Perry said. “He always brought balance to situations. He would see both sides and articulate a solution that worked for everybody in any given situation.”

Indian River County Commissioner Joe Flescher, who knew Woolfork for nearly 30 years, said he will miss his friend.

“The mark of a man is measured by the legacy he builds for the future. That statement is relevant to Woolfork,” Flescher said. “He did so much, oftentimes with so little, with his passion for the people in the community.”

Woolfork leaves behind his wife of nearly 47 years, Debra Faye Gaither-Woolfork, daughters Shannon Woolfork-Chambers and Shasta Woolfork, son Derrick Lamar Woolfork, and several grandchildren.

A wake for Woolfork will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 20, at St. Peter’s Missionary Baptist Church, 4250 38th Ave. in Gifford, according to family members. Woolfork’s funeral will be held at noon Saturday, March 21, at the same church where he was a deacon and Sunday School teacher.