Eva Doris Woolfolk Powell was born on February 5, 1944, in Alexandria, Louisiana, to the late Austin Williams Woolfolk and Leona Valley Woolfolk. On Thursday, August 13, 2026, she peacefully transitioned from this earthly life at CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria, Louisiana, at the age of 82.
Eva was a woman whose life was marked by love, education, family, faith, and a genuine appreciation for the beauty of life. She valued education and pursued her studies through the graduate level, earning a Master’s Degree. Her passion for learning ultimately became a passion for teaching others. She devoted her professional career to public education as a teacher with the Rapides Parish School Board. Teaching was more than simply an occupation for Eva; it was something she truly enjoyed and a meaningful part of the legacy she leaves behind.
Her faith was also an important foundation in her life. Eva was a faithful member of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, where she shared in the fellowship and spiritual life of her church family.
Outside of her professional and church commitments, Eva embraced life with warmth and enthusiasm. She enjoyed traveling and had a special fondness for bright colors, which beautifully reflected her vibrant personality. Above all, she loved her family deeply. Her children and grandchildren held a particularly treasured place in her heart, and the time she spent with those she loved brought her tremendous joy.
Eva shared her life in marriage with her beloved husband, James Powell, Jr. Together, they built a family and a lifetime of cherished memories.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Austin Williams Woolfolk and Leona Valley Woolfolk; one brother, Zera Hill; and three sisters, Ophelia Woolfolk Hobbs, Emma Woolfolk Marve, and Audrey Woolfolk King.
Eva leaves to cherish her precious memory her loving husband, James Powell, Jr.; two sons, James Terrance Powell and Christopher Byron Powell, both of Alexandria, Louisiana; two grandchildren, Christine Ciera Powell of Los Angeles, California, and Jameson Blake Powell of Ruston; two brothers, Austin Woolfolk (Willa) of Lexington, Kentucky, and Fred Woolfolk (Beverly) of Alexandria, Louisiana; two sisters, Dorothy Woolfolk Devall of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Juanita Woolfolk Johnson of Kenner, Louisiana; two special nieces, Lynn Martin Brown and Kathy Marve; along with a host of other nieces, nephews, relatives, friends, former students, colleagues, and all whose lives were touched by her kindness and dedication.
Though her earthly journey has ended, Eva’s influence will continue through the generations she taught, the family she loved, the faith she demonstrated, and the countless memories she leaves behind.
Celebration of Life
Public Viewing and Visitation will be held on Saturday, August 22, 2026, from 12:00 noon until 1:00 p.m. at Bethel A.M.E. Church, 3500 Jones Avenue, Alexandria, Louisiana 71302.
The Funeral Service will begin at 1:00 p.m. at Bethel A.M.E. Church.
Following the service, Mrs. Powell will be laid to rest in the Garden of Memories Cemetery, 2733 Eddie Williams Avenue, Alexandria, Louisiana 71302.