Background
Woolsey was born in Escalante, Utah to W. Arden Woolsey and his wife, Ruby Riddle.
Woolsey was born in Escalante, Utah to W. Arden Woolsey and his wife, Ruby Riddle.
Princeton University.
Durrel Woolsey lived in Escalante until age 16 when he moved with his family to Cedar City, Utah. After graduating from high school in the spring of 1944, Woolsey joined the United States Navy. He was stationed in the Pacific theatre and his ship was attacked multiple times by Kamikaze planes.
In 1946, Woolsey married LaRae Wood, who he had met in high school, in the Saint George Temple.
They then moved to Trona, California and later to Taft, California, where Woolsey was a counselor to a bishop for ten years. He later moved to Stockton, California.
He served there for eight years in the stake presidency and another eight years as stake president At various times, Woolsey studied at the University of the Pacific in Stockton and also at Princeton University.
Woolsey worked for several years for Standard Oil Company, and in 1970 established the independent Woolsey Oil Company.
After he was a general authority, he served as president of the Oakland California Temple from 1996 to 1999.
He was a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy.