Mark E. Woodford

Mark Edward Woodford died on December 28, 2022 at AngelsGrace Hospice in Oconomowoc, WI. He was born on June 17, 1961 in Minneapolis, MN to Cliff and Sandy (Hedlund) Woodford. He grew up in Britt and Sheldon, IA and North Mankato, MN. Mark attended The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey and Mankato West High School where he ran cross country and track and played golf. On Christmas Eve 1981 he married Katie Scott and together they graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1984.

Mark worked hard all his life beginning at age 10 with a Minneapolis Tribune seven mornings a week paper route, throughout high school at the Mankato Golf Club as a caddy and in club storage, odd jobs during college including a work study coding gig, and one year teaching math at Hill-Murray High School in Maplewood, MN before beginning his life’s work as a software engineer. In 1990 he accepted a position at GE Medical Systems in Waukesha, WI and spent the 30 years before his retirement in CT Engineering working with many talented and wonderful people from around the world.

Mark shared his gift of music, singing and playing his guitar first for Katie, then his children, then as a member of praise bands at ELCA Lutheran churches – New Creation, St. Andrew, and St. Luke’s of Waukesha and most recently at Holy Trinity, West Allis. He also participated in many sessions of Weekend Warriors through the White House of Music in Waukesha where he met his rock ‘n roll bandmates of many years.

He shared his love of sports with his children and since he was never good at sitting still and watching, he took up photography, taking thousands of action shots of his children and their teammates in youth and traveling sports and at Waukesha South High School. He had in the past few years begun bike riding for enjoyment rather than transportation and he was so looking forward to renewing his passion for golf before he was just physically wiped out by cholangiocarcinoma, diagnosed in July 2021.

He shared himself fully with his family and friends and for that we will be forever grateful. Mark is survived by his wife Katie of 41 years, his children: Molly of Eau Clarie, WI, Libby (Patrick) Ives of Pasadena, CA, Tim (Milada) of Madison, WI, and Brad (Phonsuda Chanthavisouk) of Minneapolis, MN, his sister Cara (Randy) Olinger of Emily, MN, his brother Eric (Jennifer) Woodford of Rochester, MN, his in-laws: Dean & Sue Scott, Darolyn (Jon) Juberien, Amy (Matt) Kolb, and Bob (Mary) Scott all of Mankato/North Mankato, MN, many nieces and nephews (first and second generation), uncles, aunts, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Visitation will be Thursday January 19, 2023 from 6:00 pm until 7:30 pm at Randle Dable Brisk Funeral Home 1110 S. Grand Avenue Waukesha, WI 53186. Services continue on Friday January 20, 2023 at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church 11709 W. Cleveland Ave. West Allis, WI 53227, with visitation from 9:30 am until the funeral service begins at 11:00 am. Rev. Lynn Erickson will preside. Interment will be in the spring at Glenwood Cemetery in Mankato. In lieu of flowers, memorials to your local food pantry are appreciated.

We wish to thank the doctors, nurses, staff and volunteers of AngelsGrace Hospice, ProHealth Care Home Hospice and UW Carbone Cancer Center for their care of Mark and commitment to their work.