Don "Woody" Woodward

Don “Woody” Woodward, age 67 passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on May 8, 2026.

He was born December 21, 1958, in Geneva, Ohio to Donald G & Martha Woodward. Don was a 1977 graduate of Geneva High School. Following graduation, Don attended Thiel College where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. While in college, Don was a proud member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and was inducted into the Business and History Honor Societies.
Don spent his career carrying on and continuing to build his family’s legacy businesses through hard work, grit, determination, and dedication. Since graduating in 1981, he enjoyed working closely with his family and business partners in Geneva-on-the-Lake.
Don was deeply devoted to his community. Over the years, he never met a stranger, took immense pride in the village and spent countless hours making Geneva-on-the-Lake the town we all know and love. He served on the GOTL Village Council for 31 years. He valued tourism and the continued success of Geneva-on-the-Lake, working closely with the Ashtabula County Convention and Visitors Bureau and serving as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Geneva-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce. Don belonged to the GOTL Fire Department for 19 years and served as Assistant Fire Chief for five years. He additionally served on the Ohio Advisory Council of Amusement Ride Safety.
On September 30, 1989, Don married the love of his life, Cheryl (Paine). Together they built a life centered around family, laughter, unwavering support, and working alongside one another in the businesses. Over 36 years of marriage, they shared countless memories and traveled the world together.

In his spare time, Don enjoyed music from many iconic 1970s bands, including The Who, Eagles, Neil Young, and Pink Floyd, and attended countless concerts throughout the years. Don was known for his own great sense of humor and also enjoyed comedians Lewis Black and John Mulaney. More recently, Don fulfilled his retirement dreams with Cheryl, spending winters in Hollywood, Florida. He especially loved spending time with his grandson Jaxon, chatting about trains and weather. A true history buff, Don enjoyed reading a wide variety of materials, from the Sunday paper to Time magazine, and was rarely seen without something to read. Don enjoyed sharing his endless trivia knowledge with anyone he met.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Donald G. & Martha Woodward, sister Martha “Marty” Fenlason and an infant brother.

Don is survived by his loving wife of 36 years, Cheryl Woodward; children Donald C. Woodward, Megan (James) Orosz; sister Donna (Ron) Colby; grandson Jaxon Woodward; and several nieces, nephews and many dear friends.

The family will receive friends to celebrate Don’s life on May 18th, 2026 from 2pm to 7pm at the Behm Family Funeral Home, 175 South Broadway, Geneva Ohio 44041. There will be a Funeral Service at 11:00am on Tuesday May 19th at the funeral home with a Celebration of Life Reception beginning at 1:00pm at the Cove Niteclub, 5326 Lake Road East, Geneva-on-the-Lake.

In remembrance of Don’s life, the family asks for any charitable donations be made to The Miracle Foundation, online at https://www.miraclefoundation.org/donate/ or Reserve Care (Hospice of the Western Reserve) 1166 Lake Avenue Ashtabula, Ohio 44004.

Online obituary and condolences may be viewed at www.behmfuneral.com