Jack
Jack T. Woodyard, Jr.
Jack T. Woodyard, Jr., age 71, left this world on July 15, 2022, for his next gig. Illness interrupted his plans to play the drums for many more years (an interest he rediscovered later in life). Jack was larger than life, exceedingly generous, and always up for an adventure or a debate. He was known to be very opinionated, causing people to remember him, fondly or not.
He was born to the late Lt. Col. Jack T. Woodyard Sr. and Norma A. Dye on October 15, 1950, in Springfield, MA. Growing up as an Air Force brat and having a chance to work in the Middle East in his early professional life (Iran, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia) gave Jack an enthusiasm for travel, a love of people from other cultures and a knack for talking to absolutely anyone. His fiercely independent spirit took root while running barefoot and wild with his sidekick “Dilly”, the menace dachshund, in Florida as a boy.
Jack graduated from Lake Worth High School and Florida State University with a dual major in surfing and carousing and a minor in Communications. He moved initially to Ohio for an auditor position but was soon recruited by one of the companies he was auditing (Harco Corporation of Medina, OH).
At Harco, Jack negotiated, staffed, and executed an enormous project in Saudi Arabia in the early 80’s. He hired young, inexperienced college graduates and proceeded to pull off a long-term engineering/construction deal in the unlikely field of corrosion engineering; the “art of making nothing happen to pipelines”. Jack even printed up feigned Harco Institute of Technology certificates to “credential” his personnel. Many of his young recruits went on to lifelong corrosion engineering careers in major cities across the US.
Jack was employed by RJF International (later Profusion Industries) in Akron beginning in 1991 where he stayed until retirement in 2018. He quickly rose through the ranks to his executive leadership role, developing new businesses for both firms with many successes to his credit. He was prescient in his vision, having developed and led early versions of web-based industrial manufacturing and distribution businesses, as well as an environmentally responsible family of products made from raw materials previously sent to the landfill. Jack was an individual that was quick to offer accolades to all of those in his sphere of influence, understanding that it takes a village to find success.
Jack was a seasoned accumulator, acquiring all the “necessary stuff” for any new endeavor. Tennis, camping, motorcycling, and playing music were favorite pursuits, but he was also a terror on the ping pong table. Many animals passed through his life; Jack was primarily a dog guy (don’t tell Mama and Noodle, his beloved tuxedo cats), but any animal could bring him to tears. A total optimist, he believed that “it all works out in the end….if it hasn’t worked out, it’s not the end”. He entered every room with a smile on his face, making him a wonderful friend, dad, and partner.
Jack was the proud father of Whitney Murphy (Jimmy) and Hayleigh Parkin (Lukas), both of North Carolina. Whitney predeceased him, walking her own journey with cancer in 2021. In 2006, Jack met the love of his life, Leslie Meadows, on Match.com and hooked her with a very electric handshake in the Panera parking lot; the spark never died. This allowed him to gain a couple of bonus kids: Nathan Meadows and Beth Meadows (Nick Knapp). Five grandchildren were added to his pack: Lydia and James Murphy, Maisie and Liliana Parkin and Birdie Knapp. Two older sisters survive Jack: June Townsend (Chip) and Joyce Simo (Warner) as well as many nieces and nephews. He leaves a crater that can’t be filled.
In lieu of flowers or gifts, please consider donating to a charity close to Jack’s heart – the Medina Raptor Center (
www.medinaraptorcenter.org
). Contributions can be mailed to Medina Raptor Center, PO Box 74, Spencer, Ohio 44275.
A memorial gathering will be held on October 15
th
in Akron. Details will be provided later.
He was born to the late Lt. Col. Jack T. Woodyard Sr. and Norma A. Dye on October 15, 1950, in Springfield, MA. Growing up as an Air Force brat and having a chance to work in the Middle East in his early professional life (Iran, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia) gave Jack an enthusiasm for travel, a love of people from other cultures and a knack for talking to absolutely anyone. His fiercely independent spirit took root while running barefoot and wild with his sidekick “Dilly”, the menace dachshund, in Florida as a boy.
Jack graduated from Lake Worth High School and Florida State University with a dual major in surfing and carousing and a minor in Communications. He moved initially to Ohio for an auditor position but was soon recruited by one of the companies he was auditing (Harco Corporation of Medina, OH).
At Harco, Jack negotiated, staffed, and executed an enormous project in Saudi Arabia in the early 80’s. He hired young, inexperienced college graduates and proceeded to pull off a long-term engineering/construction deal in the unlikely field of corrosion engineering; the “art of making nothing happen to pipelines”. Jack even printed up feigned Harco Institute of Technology certificates to “credential” his personnel. Many of his young recruits went on to lifelong corrosion engineering careers in major cities across the US.
Jack was employed by RJF International (later Profusion Industries) in Akron beginning in 1991 where he stayed until retirement in 2018. He quickly rose through the ranks to his executive leadership role, developing new businesses for both firms with many successes to his credit. He was prescient in his vision, having developed and led early versions of web-based industrial manufacturing and distribution businesses, as well as an environmentally responsible family of products made from raw materials previously sent to the landfill. Jack was an individual that was quick to offer accolades to all of those in his sphere of influence, understanding that it takes a village to find success.
Jack was a seasoned accumulator, acquiring all the “necessary stuff” for any new endeavor. Tennis, camping, motorcycling, and playing music were favorite pursuits, but he was also a terror on the ping pong table. Many animals passed through his life; Jack was primarily a dog guy (don’t tell Mama and Noodle, his beloved tuxedo cats), but any animal could bring him to tears. A total optimist, he believed that “it all works out in the end….if it hasn’t worked out, it’s not the end”. He entered every room with a smile on his face, making him a wonderful friend, dad, and partner.
Jack was the proud father of Whitney Murphy (Jimmy) and Hayleigh Parkin (Lukas), both of North Carolina. Whitney predeceased him, walking her own journey with cancer in 2021. In 2006, Jack met the love of his life, Leslie Meadows, on Match.com and hooked her with a very electric handshake in the Panera parking lot; the spark never died. This allowed him to gain a couple of bonus kids: Nathan Meadows and Beth Meadows (Nick Knapp). Five grandchildren were added to his pack: Lydia and James Murphy, Maisie and Liliana Parkin and Birdie Knapp. Two older sisters survive Jack: June Townsend (Chip) and Joyce Simo (Warner) as well as many nieces and nephews. He leaves a crater that can’t be filled.
In lieu of flowers or gifts, please consider donating to a charity close to Jack’s heart – the Medina Raptor Center (
www.medinaraptorcenter.org
). Contributions can be mailed to Medina Raptor Center, PO Box 74, Spencer, Ohio 44275.
A memorial gathering will be held on October 15
th
in Akron. Details will be provided later.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Jack T. Woodyard, Jr., please visit our flower store.
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