John “Jack” Woodman

John “Jack” Harry Woodman was born on March 12, 1942 in Scranton, PA to the late Verna Iona Marcy. When Jack was young, they moved to Torrington, CT, where Verna met and married Ronald Woodman, who adopted Jack. He remained an only child, but he had close cousins growing up.

After graduating from high school, Jack joined the army. He was primarily stationed in Japan where he worked in communications.

Jack attended the University of Connecticut, where his love of UConn basketball began. Jack later earned a degree in philosophy from Boston State College.

Jack met Suzanne Murphy while living in Boston, MA in 1976. They married on July 21, 1979 and welcomed their first daughter, Mia, in September of 1980. Their second daughter, Skye, arrived in December of 1985. Jack was a dedicated stay at home father. He worked some odd jobs for friends that kept him busy, but he was always available when one of his kids needed him.

Jack enjoyed taking his family on road trips in the summer months, and never missed a chance to drive “cross country.” He took the family (including his nephew, Dax) to many National and State Parks. Other nieces and nephews also joined in on the fun at times. Amusement Parks, camping, and being broken down on the side of the road were common occurrences on each trip. One time, Jack and Suzanne even had to buy a replacement Buick in Zanesville, OH after Jack drove in the lowest gear for about 100 miles on the highway.

Jack, Suzanne, Mia, and Skye moved to Canton, MA in 1986, and Jack and Suzanne lived there for 32 years. During this time, a severe car accident in front of the family home in 1994 caused Jack to suffer lung damage as well as a traumatic brain injury that affected him in some ways for the remainder of his life.

Jack continued to enjoy taking road trips as well as a family reunion-style trip that was taken yearly to Cape Cod for a week-long stay on the beach.

In 2018, in preparation for the birth of their first grandchild, Suzanne told Jack it was time to move to Rugby, ND, and Jack said, “Okay”. They arrived days before Quinn was born in June of 2018. After some deliberation, Jack decided he wanted to be called “Grand Old Man”, so that was what his grandkids knew him as. Harvey made his appearance in February of 2022. Jack loved being near his grandkids.

They have lived in Rugby ever since.

Jack had many hobbies throughout his lifetime. He played Contract Bridge for years, earning Ruby Life Master status with over 1500 masterpoints. Jack also played billiards recreationally and competitively. He won numerous trophies and awards for his skills in both activities. He was an avid stamp collector as well as a vinyl collector and lover of music. His favorite artists included Elvis Presley, Celine Dion, and most recently, Taylor Swift.

Jack passed away at the Fargo VA Medical Center on July 6th, 2026 at the age of 84.

Jack was preceded in death by his parents, Verna Iona (Marcy) Woodman and Ronald Woodman, and his nephew Dylan Wirth. Jack is survived by his wife, Suzanne (Murphy) Woodman; daughters: Mia Woodman, of Towner, and Skye (John) Cargo of Rugby; grandchildren, Quinn and Harvey Cargo of Rugby; sisters-in-law, Carol Murphy of Massachusetts, Barbara (John) Fowler of Colorado, and Elizabeth (Cate) Wirth of Vermont; nephews and nieces, Tara and Jasmine Peters and Briella of Massachusetts, Dax Peters of Maine, Keilen Peters of Massachusetts, Hannah Wirth of Vermont, Darya Fowler of New York, and Marina Fowler of Colorado.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, July 27 at the Anderson Funeral Home in Rugby with burial and full military honors at the Persilla Watts Cemetery in Rugby. Lunch and fellowship to follow at Dakota Farms on Highway 2.

Military Honors Accorded by: Clarence Larson American Legion Post #23 Honor and Color Guard, Rugby, North Dakota and the North Dakota Military Funeral Honors Detail.

Lunch and fellowship to follow at Dakota Farms on Highway 2 in Rugby.

Published by The Pierce County Tribune, July 18, 2026.