John William Woodard

JOHN WILLIAM WOODARD, SR., 94, passed away peacefully in his home at Marquette Manor on July 7, 2022.

John was born February 19, 1928 in Wilmington Delaware. He was the youngest of five children and by 1932 they had all moved to Indianapolis.  His father Abram S. Woodard, Sr. was a Methodist minister serving parishes in Indianapolis, Irvington, Bloomington and Columbus Indiana where John graduated from high school.  John graduated from Harvard College in 1949, and he earned a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.  While at Michigan, John went on a blind date with Meg Lewis.  The two fell in love and were married in 1953.

John and Meg settled in Indianapolis, where they raised four children (Thom, Paul, John Jr., and Ann).  John worked in a private law practice before joining Indiana National Bank as a trust officer for the remainder of his career.  In 1983, Meg passed away after a long bout with cancer. John later married longtime family friend and widow Barbara “Barb” Orban. They remained together until her sudden death in 2003.

Along with his family, faith was a cornerstone of John’s life. He was a longtime member of Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Indianapolis and later St Paul’s Episcopal Church.  John served as the Diocesan treasurer, on the church vestry, and as youth group leader. John was active in the Indiana Bar Association and served as its President.  After retirement, John volunteered his time (and his voice) to recording books for visually impaired readers, as a docent at the Eiteljorg Museum, and at weekly church services at Marquette Manor, serving as a reader and usher.

John was an avid reader with an encyclopedic knowledge of history and geography. A world traveler, John traveled to Europe one summer during law school and continued to travel with both Meg and Barb, eventually traveling around the world.  John never met a stranger.  He loved to chat, to share knowledge and stories, to laugh and to make others laugh. While at Marquette, he played corn toss with the Marquette team competing with other retirement communities.

In addition, Meg and Barb, John was preceded in death by his parents and four elder siblings Abe, Hal, and Ronnie Woodard and Elizabeth ‘Beezie’ (Macdonald). He is survived by his children, Thom, Paul (Ken Owen), John Woodard, Jr. (Allison Brown), and Ann Niednagel (Tim); stepchildren Cynthia Sperrazzo (Franco), Steve Orban (Stacie), and Chuck Orban (Laura); 6 grandchildren and 8 step grandchildren; and many dear friends, all of whom will miss him very much.

A celebration of John’s life will be held Monday, July 18, 2022, at 1 p.m. at Washington Park North, Indianapolis, with visitation from 11 am until 1 pm.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to Waycross Camp and Conference Center (visit WaycrossCCC.org) or The Marquette Manor Foundation.