As received from the Ryan Funeral Home:
Calumet – Dean D. Woodward age 88, passed away on January 9, 2025 at the Canal View Houghton County. Dean spent his last thirty years in Calumet, Tamarack location with his partner Sharon Battles and dog Suzy, who he adored. He loved his hometown of Calumet. He was a Coast Guard Worker and Welder and owned a steel business in Detroit. He helped his brother Kenneth build/weld a 42 foot steel hull sailboat that is still sailing at a school in Minnesota. Dean fixed and maintained snow plow machines in the U.P. Ending his days well into his 70’s and 80’s working at Sunset Bay Campground with Suzy and Sherry by his side. He used the wood shop there to build benches and picnic tables.
Dean leaves his five children, Kipling Woodward, Leza (Woodward) Myers partner Tom Oberly, Laureen Woodward, Valerie (Woodward) Maness-Martin Maness, Kenneth Woodward – Paul Woodward, six grandchildren Chad, Heather, Nicholas, Will, Tiffany and Charlie; eight great-grandchildren, brother-in-law Ralph Olson, many nieces and nephews along with lifetime friends from and in the U.P.
He was preceded in death by his parents Harold and Irene (Hjordis Olsen) Woodward, brothers Kenneth (Kay) and Jimmy, sisters Arlene (John) Austin and Deanna Olson and former wife Kathleen Woodward, mother of all five of his children.
A Celebration of Life is being planned for the summer of 2025. Memorials may be directed to Canal View Houghton County – where they took excellent care of him. Ryan Funeral Home is serving the family
