His parents, John E. and Elizabeth M. (Sprigg) Woodward welcomed their son into the world on May 21, 1927 in Brooklyn, New York. Norm grew up in Garden City, Long Island, NY and was a 1945 graduate of Garden City High School.
Immediately following graduation, he enlisted in the Navy and served during the final months of World War II. He later was drafted into the Army to serve during the Korean War.
He received a Bachelor’s degree in 1950 from Colgate University in Hamilton, NY.
Norm’s work career centered on marketing and product planning with IBM Corporation in several locations, including New Haven, CT, and Kingston, NY. Norm worked and remained good friends with his colleagues through the years. He retired in 1990 after 40 years of service.
An avid outdoorsman and hiker, Norm hiked trails in the Catskill, Adirondack, and Monadnock regions, as well as Mt. Cardigan, a family favorite in Canaan, NH. At age 75, Norm enjoyed a mountaineering experience on Mt. Syphax in the Canadian Rockies with members of his family. Norm was also an active participant in the Boy Scouts, leading scouts on camping trips and introducing them to the outdoors he loved.
Norm was a ham radio operator who obtained his “Extra Class” license from the FCC. He was a long-time member of the American Radio Relay League. He also enjoyed photography, developing his own black and white photographs.
He was a member of the Leica Historical Society, authoring several articles that included his photographs. In Keene, he was a member of the Historical Society of Cheshire County, and a member of St. James Episcopal Church.
Family gatherings brought Norm his greatest joy. At such times he would often exclaim, “I envy no man.” As spouses and grandchildren joined his family, his pride in his children grew.
Norm is survived by “the best decision [he] ever made,” his wife of 66 years, Barbara T. (Traub) Woodward of Keene; his children, Mark D. Woodward and his wife, Karen, of Yorktown, VA, Michael D. Woodward and his wife, Margie, of Sudbury, MA, Lynn W. Wisely and her husband, Andrew, of Hewitt, TX, David J. Woodward of Natick, MA and his girlfriend, Vicki DiMeo, Christopher W. Woodward and his wife, Helen, of Dover, MA; his grandchildren, Kendra Wisely, and Jack, John, Alex, Benjamin, Aaron, Phillip, Julianne Woodward; and his two nieces, Robin Woodward of New York City, NY, and Anne Lydon of Devon, PA. He was predeceased by his twin brother Dennis, who passed away at a young age, and by his older brother Ronald E. Woodward.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, April 3, 2022 at 1:00 pm in St. James Episcopal Church, 44 West Street, Keene.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mr. Woodward’s memory to the Daniel Webster Council of the Boy Scouts of America, 1500 Bodwell Road, Manchester, NH 03109; or to the Cheshire Health Foundation, Attention: Development Office, 580 Court Street, Keene, NH 03431.
