Jerry Lynn Woodward, 86, of Fort Myers, Florida, passed away peacefully on Dec. 14, 2025. He was born Sept. 20, 1939, in Bluffton to Earl Woodward and Delcie (Schlechty) Woodward.
Jerry graduated from Ossian High School in 1957 where he met and married his first true love, Barbara Schuller in 1960. Jerry served time in the National Guard and boasted that his fast and voracious eating habits were learned while he was in the Guard, lest he said he would starve. After Jerry and Barb divorced in 1967, Jerry relocated to South Bend, where he began working for Pitney Bowes as a service technician. He then moved to Fort Wayne, and progressed with the company to became a sales representative, staying with the firm for 15 years. Soon thereafter, he married Carol Jorgensen and they ventured to northern Michigan where he switched careers and became a computer programmer. After Carol passed away in 1985, Jerry and his long-term partner, Cindy Nensewitz, moved south to Florida to enjoy the sunshine.
Jerry had multiple hobbies, and his proudest accomplishment was being a licensed pilot. Jerry owned multiple planes, flying over 1,000 hours in his plane of choice, the Piper Commanche. He also enjoyed skeet shooting, and proudly shared the number of times he would get a perfect score on various courses. When he moved to Florida, he lived on the intercoastal waters of St. Petersburgh and would go deep-sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.
Jerry was a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Alpena Sportsmen’s Club, and Boca Ciega Point Boat Club.
Jerry is survived by his children, Kevin Woodward (Linda) of Kewadin, Michigan, and Keith Woodward (Julie) of Sanibel, Florida; grandchildren, Scott Woodward (Lyndzee) of Traverse City, Michigan, Brock Woodward (Danielle) of Huntington, Haley Isa (Eyad) of Dalkey, Ireland, and Graham Woodward (Nicole) of Chicago; and twin great-granddaughters, Alivia and Audra Woodward of Traverse City, Michigan. He is preceded in death by his partner of 34 years, Cindy Nensewitz; his wife of 10 years, Carol Woodward; Barbara (Woodward) Adams, mother of his two boys; sister, Marjorie Siebold; and parents, Earl and Delcie Woodward.
A celebration of Jerry’s life will be held in the summer of 2026 in Michigan. Memorial contributions may be made in Jerry’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association.