Frank ‘Woody’ Woodard (1939-2020)

CARRABASSETT VALLEY – Frank “Woody” Woodard died from complications of pneumonia in Carrabassett Valley, Maine on March 14, 2020, at the age of 80.

Frank is survived by his siblings, Barbara Garnett, Neil Woodard, and Greg Woodard; his wife, Jean McNeary Woodard; sons, Craig and Steve, Craig’s wife Martha and Steve’s wife Donna, and three grandsons, Matthew, Benny and Lewie. He is preceded in death by his siblings Edith Sarah and Bruce.

Frank was born on July 1, 1939 in Augusta, Maine to Kenneth Woodard and Florence Taylor Woodard. Frank graduated from Bingham High School in 1957. He graduated from the University of Maine in the Class of ’61 with a BS and in 1963 with a MS in environmental engineering. He received his PhD at Purdue University, also in environmental engineering. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity.

Frank married Jean Louisa McNeary, the love of his life, on Jan. 27, 1962. They raised their two boys, Craig and Steve, in Veazie, Maine. Frank was an avid skier, both Nordic and alpine, and was a Sugarloafer since 1953. He loved running, canoe racing, fishing, cycling – anything to experience the outdoors. He loved spending time at the family’s completely off the grid, 100-year-old camp at Dead Stream Pond, so much so, that he and Jean had their honeymoon there, despite the January temperatures dipping below -50 degrees!
In his later years, he became part of a running group that, unbeknownst to him, was otherwise made up entirely of younger women. Frank and Jean had taken over 100 nordic skiing and cycling trips with a close group of lifelong friends. Besides his family, Frank’s greatest love, however, was music; he was an avid musician, played the guitar and upright bass. He was one of the founding members of the Windy Ridge Band, and was most recently with the band, “Running Loose.” Frank’s love and passion for music was an integral influence in his 3 grandsons’ career choices to become professional musicians.

Following two years of service in the U.S. Army, he joined the faculty at the University of Maine as a professor of engineering. After 12 years of teaching, he co-founded Woodard & Curran, an environmental engineering consulting company that has since grown to 1,100 employees at 100 locations across the country. Frank was loved as the original spiritual soul and moral guiding beacon for the culture of the firm and was also admired as the technical leader setting W&C’s standard of excellence for all. Having started his professional career as an educator, he was a lifelong learner and teacher devoted to supporting and empowering everyone he worked with to be the best that they could be.

A musical celebration of his wonderful life will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, if you wish to please send donations to the University of Maine Foundation, Two Alumni Place, Orono, ME 04469-5792, or online at umainefoundation.org/memorial for the Department Civil and Environmental Engineering; or to the Woodard & Curran Foundation, 41 Hutchins Drive, Portland, ME 04102 (www.woodardcurranfoundation.org).

Cremation cared for by Wiles Remembrance Center 137 Farmington Falls Rd. Farmington, ME. A kind word may be left on his memory wall at www.wilesrc.com