J. Michael Woodlock

He is survived by his two children, Michael Blayze Woodlock “Blayze” and Chelsea Caroline Woodlock, and his one surviving sister, Kathleen Rose Bangert “Kathy”.

Mike was born in St. Louis, Missouri on the 4th of April 1949, and was the youngest of the three children born to Loretta Rose Woodlock and John Joseph Woodlock. After completing high school at Augustinian Academy in St. Louis, Mike matriculated into the University of Missouri-Rolla from which he graduated in 1971. Mike was an active member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity during his collegiate career, becoming co-Grand Master of the Missouri-Rolla chapter of Kappa Sigma in his senior year alongside Gary Forsee. Upon graduation, he worked in engineering-related roles at both Procter & Gamble and Johns Manville before entering and subsequently earning his MBA from the University of Tennessee.

In 1977, shortly after graduating from the University of Tennessee with his MBA, he began working at the firm that became the lifeblood of his professional career: Merrill Lynch. Across the next 38 years of his life at Merrill Lynch, he proudly worked and led many different men and women before finally retiring as a Managing Director in Houston in 2015.

In his leisure time, he was an avid golfer consistently in pursuit of better and an eager traveler of the world. He fondly spent many hours of his life in the company of his cherished friends and family reflecting on the affairs of the times while adhering to the maxim: in vino veritas.

Many of Mike’s cherished colleagues at Merrill Lynch will remember that he was a staunch believer in inspiring and encouraging others to seek greatness via the reflections and musings offered by some of the most venerated leaders of different disciplines and across history. Fittingly and in the words of Shakespeare: “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Mike was a great man, a great father, a great brother, and he will be remembered affectionately.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o’clock in the afternoon until seven o’clock in the evening on Monday, the 28th of November, in the library and grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A memorial service is to be conducted at twelve o’clock noon on Tuesday, the 29th of November, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston, where Rev. Peter Damian Harris, is to serve as celebrant.

Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family and share remembrances of Mike during a reception in the adjacent grand foyer.

Prior to the service, the family will have gathered for a private interment at Memorial Oaks Cemetery in Houston.

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