Ron Woodroof

Woodroof was born in Dallas, Texas, on February 3, 1950,[1] to Garland Odell Woodroof (March 17, 1917, in Texas – December 3, 1983, in Dallas)[12] and Willie Mae Hughes (November 25, 1917, in Oklahoma – November 19, 1996, in Dallas).[2][13][14]

His first marriage was to Mary Etta Pybus on June 28, 1969, in Dallas;[3] they had a daughter, Yvette Lynn Woodroof (born February 1, 1970).[1] They divorced on March 23, 1972.[4] On May 6, 1972, he married a woman named Rory S. Flynn in Dallas.[5] They divorced on May 21, 1973.[6] He then married Brenda Shari Robin on October 4, 1982, in Lubbock.[7] They divorced on March 4, 1986,[8] after he was diagnosed with HIV.

He had a mercurial personality. One reporter writes that "Woodroof took guns to his doctor’s office, prompting Dr. Steven Pounders to 'fire him as a patient.'" Woodroof later sent the doctor roses, and the doctor took him back.[15]

Accounts differ on whether he made homophobic comments. Reporter and screenwriter Craig Borten has said Woodroof was "as racist and homophobic as they come," while friends reportedly claim the opposite.

After suffering from the side effects of AZT, Ron Woodroof began looking for other drugs he could use to further prolong his life. He acquired nutritional medicaments and drugs not approved by the FDA for use in the United States, which he found helpful in ameliorating his symptoms. Woodroof established what he called the Dallas Buyers Club in 1988 as a front for distributing these drugs and other substances to AIDS patients.[16][17][18]

Seven years following his diagnosis of HIV, Ron Woodroof died on September 12, 1992 from pneumonia brought on by AIDS. Woodroof became the basis of the 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club.[19] He was portrayed in the film by Matthew McConaughey who won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Woodroof.