James "Jim" Henry Woodruff

James Henry Woodruff, aka Opa, 86 years old, passed away on October 1, 2024, surrounded by his loving family. He was born on January 11, 1938 to Virginia and Franklin Woodruff (Woody) in Jackson, Michigan.

Jim graduated from Lincoln High School, Lincoln, IL, in 1956. He married Sandra Lee Stoll on June 2nd,1956. He attended the University of Illinois and graduated in 1960. Jim and Sandy raised 5 children.

Immediately upon graduation from the University of Illinois with a degree in aeronautical engineering, Jim took a position as a Field Service Engineer with AC Spark Plug, a division of General Motors, in Milwaukee. He worked on the inertial guidance system for the Titan II intercontinental missiles. This was during the height of the cold war. After completing training on the guidance system in 1961, Jim and family moved to Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, to set up repair facilities for the systems. Then Jim and family moved to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for Titan II flight testing, and then on to McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, to install missiles in their silos.

After completing the installations there, Jim and family returned to Milwaukee to perform environmental testing and develop service planning for the Apollo guidance and navigation system. Jim continued to work on supporting the Apollo program through the landing of Apollo 11 in 1969.

Following his work on Apollo, Jim and family moved to California to set up installation and service operations at San Francisco International Airport for the Carousel IV inertial guidance system which was a derivative of the Titan II and Apollo technology and was being installed into jumbo jets for international flights.

Jim’s final work at General Motors was on yet another application of inertial technology for the development of the fire control system for the new joint German/USA main battle tank, including work in Augsburg, Germany.

At the end of 1969, there was a big layoff in General Motors. He was offered a position to return to GM in Detroit, but declined. Jim went to work at Schlitz Brewery in Milwaukee, WI. When Schlitz closed in 1982, he was offered a job to move to Detroit and work for Strohs, who bought Schlitz, but declined. He then took a GE-Medical Systems position with the magnetic resonance operation in New Berlin, WI. In 1987, Jim relocated to Boulder, CO, and worked for the Coors Brewery in Golden, CO, where he ended his career.

His joys in life were going on family camping and backpacking trips (often with the Hoefers), skiing, traveling abroad, fishing, golfing, singing in the church choir, and visiting his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and extended family (Stolls). His time coaching the Muskego Chargers pee wee football team for many years, which included Chris and Tim as players, was another of his great joys. Christmas and Thanksgiving were a special time of the year with many wonderful memories in Lincoln, IL, Muskego and Milwaukee, WI, Boulder and Longmont, CO, and Lander, WY. He loved all sports, especially football, and loved golfing with whoever, wherever, and whenever he could. He especially liked to golf with his brother-in-law John Stoll and wife Stephanie, who they visited every spring in Florida. He also dedicated his life to his church family, and all of the volunteer activities he could.

Jim is preceded in death by his sons, baby Todd Woodruff and Chris Woodruff, parents Virginia and Franklin Woodruff, sister Mary Alice Woodruff, twin brothers Larry and Barry, and Bill Woodruff.

Jim is survived by his wife of 68 years Sandra Woodruff, his children: James Scott (Therese) Woodruff, Michelle Marie (John Metcalfe) Woodruff, Timothy John Woodruff, and Daniel Todd Woodruff. Grandchildren: Adam (Ali Antczak) LaBerge, Ryan Woodruff, Shane (Emily) Woodruff, Sam (Mei Ratz) Pedersen, Eliah Pedersen, Alec, Adam, and Megan Parker, McKenzie (Tyler) Driver and Skyler Woodruff. Great grandchildren: Twins Camden and Joslyn LaBerge, Crosley Pedersen, Wilder and Rowan Woodruff, and Ophelia Driver.