Frank Woodward Jr

Frank (Frankie, JoJo, Niner, Pap Pap) - loving and beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, passed peacefully on July 6, 2026, at home with his children, after a courageous battle with cancer. 

He was born on December 2, 1938, in Skowhegan, Maine, the eldest of eight siblings, to Frank Josephus Woodward and Mary Elizabeth (Newton) Woodward. His family, including sisters Cheryl (Douglas Hoar) and Sheila (Gregory Clairmont) along with brothers Mike (Lois), Richard (Debby), Tim (Suki Knight), Keith (Patricia Driscoll), and Robin (Kelly) lived and farmed in East Corinth, Vermont growing up. 

He met his wife Nancianne (Welch) through his sister, Cheryl and they married on August 5, 1961, in Newbury, Vermont. They traveled together to Fort Devens, Massachusetts while he served in the United States Army. They returned to Burlington, Vermont area where they started their family of five children. They moved to Georgia, Vermont in 1972 where they continued to watch their family grow and thrive. 

Nanci passed on May 28, 2015, after fifty-four years of marriage. 

Frankie attended Vermont Technical College and earned his electrical engineering degree. He started his working career at General Electric, retiring after 30+ years of exemplary service, to begin his second career at QST in St. Albans (now TeknorApex) working for his close friend, Joe Doucette. 

He started his favorite career of racing simultaneously, beginning with drag racing The Vermontster which he built with his close friend, John Keefer, and drove; and moving onto many successful years as Crew Chief with the #71 Racing Team and Bobby Dragon, continuing as crew member for the Goss Dodge Race Teams #46 and #45 with Doug Hoar and Brian Hoar, and finishing with the #9 Race Team with Emily Packard. 

He knew how to make drivers go fast. He was respected in the pits for his meticulous care, and incredible knowledge, and for always being willing to help a competitor run their best race. He decided to celebrate turning 80 by re-acquiring The Vermontster, getting a crew together, and bringing us all along to watch him hit 150 miles per hour at the Napierville Dragstrip in Quebec, Canada. Who needs a cake after that? 

There can be no further discussion without telling you about his children and grandchildren - if he were here, he would tell you himself. We think nobody was a better Pap Pap. He was present with his camera, and later his video recorder, at events involving his grandchildren (just ask them!). There was no better treat than having a cup of coffee at the kitchen table going through envelopes of the latest pictures. 

Left behind to grieve his loss are daughter Michelle West, her husband Mark, and her children Joel (Kelly) Lombard, Forreste (Tabor) DeGroot, Victoria Lombard, Rachel (Wyatt) Larose, Michaela Lombard and Olivia Lombard; daughter Pamela "Pammy" Woodward and her children Dylan Boardman, Elijah Boardman and Hannah Boardman; son Frank "Joey" Woodward III, his wife Deb and their children Julia (Robert) Garafolo and Gracie (Quinton) Banus; daughter Brenda Parker, her husband, Rich Parker, and her children Cailyn Luman and Braidyn Luman and Rich's son Ryan Parker; son Neal Woodward and his wife Stacey and his son Easton; and great-grandchildren, Porter and August DeGroot, Farah Larose, Alton and Arya Lombard, Harper and Hadley Banus, and baby Garafolo joining us in September 2026 and baby Larose #2 joining us November 2026. 

He was also preceded in death by his nephew, David Woodward in 1996, his sister-in-law, Lois Woodward in 2004, his brother-in-law, Douglas Hoar in 2024, and Joe Doucette in 2019. 

The family would like to thank Bayada Hospice for assisting the family with honoring his wishes to be at home for his passing. 

There will be a Celebration of Life for family at a later date. 

We will remember his kindness, his love for life, and his love for us.

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