Whittier-Porter Funeral HomeLawrence Dexter Woodman, Jr. passed away on Thursday January 29, 2009 after a life rich in love, friendship, and humor. He was 59 years old. He is survived by his wife, Catherine (Aiello) Woodman, four daughters, four grandchildren, and a large circle of family and friends. He was known for his quiet generosity and his dry wit. His memory will be cherished by his loved ones and community.
Larry was born and raised in Essex, where he spent his life working in the family business, Woodman’s of Essex, inventors of the fried clam. He began working with his parents and six siblings as a table clearer in his youth. In 1988, he succeeded his father, the late L. Dexter Woodman, as President of Woodman’s, Inc. He was a member of The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, The North Chamber of Commerce, The Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, The Northeastern Family Business Bureau, The North of Boston CVB, and the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. Larry was one of the original founders of the L. Dexter Woodman Scholarship fund, supporting higher education for young adults from the North Shore and beyond.
Larry was dedicated to his work, but he also loved sports, playing cards, and boating on the Essex River. He played on all the Essex youth baseball teams and ended his local career as a player/coach and a hall of famer in the Essex Inter-town Twilight League. He played two years of varsity baseball at Bentley College, graduating with a B.S. in accounting in 1971. Ten years ago, Larry discovered golf, playing almost daily at The Cape Ann Golf Course in Essex, where he was the past president of the Dave Davis Essex Men’s Rec League for seven years. In 2004, he shot the only recorded double eagle on the 7th hole at The Bass Rocks Golf Club in Gloucester. Larry always enjoyed a good poker game with many of his buddies. He was the past president of the Essex Veteran Fireman’s Association.
Above all, Larry loved his family. He doted on his four grandchildren, Maxwell, Avery, Eva and Audrey. Since the oldest, Maxwell, was born six years ago, Grampy woke early every Christmas morning to watch the children open their presents. Larry loved to take his wife to the beach, dinner, and Fenway Park. He never missed a graduation, birthday, or special event. Larry, Cathy, and their family regularly visited his mother, “Nana Gini,” at her home in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Larry had a faithful buddy in Chloé, the family dog, who met him at the front door when he came home each day.
In addition to his wife, Catherine, Larry is survived by his mother, Mrs. L. Dexter Woodman of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; daughter and son-in-law, Tara and Brian Patrican, of Newbury; daughter and son-in-law, Whitney and Jarrett St. John, of Ipswich; daughter and son-in-law Brittnie Aiello and Kurt Gauthier, of Holyoke; daughter Hillarie Aiello, of Hamilton. He leaves the great loves of his life, grandson Maxwell Patrican, of Newbury, and granddaughters Avery Patrican, of Newbury, and Eva and Audrey St. John, of Ipswich. He leaves his brothers, Stephen Woodman and his wife, Rhonda, of Essex, and Douglas Woodman and his wife Maureen, of Essex; his sisters, Patti D’Alelio and her husband, Ralph, of Highland Beach, Florida, Judi McComiskey and her husband, Sam, of Gloucester, and Cynthia Fougere of Essex; his father-in-law, Anthony Aiello, of Essex; brother-in-law, Stephen Aiello and his wife, Susan, of Essex; sisters-in-law, Terry Gauthier and her husband, Jerry, of Ipswich and Cindy Tabor and her husband, Ted, of Ipswich; and his former-wife, Nancy (Holmes) Woodman, of Ipswich. He leaves many cousins, friends, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews, who are too numerous to list, but whose importance in Larry’s life should not be understated.
Larry is predeceased by his father, Mr. L. Dexter Woodman; his brother, Geoffrey R. Woodman; brothers-in-law John L. Roy and Thomas Fougere; his grand-nephew, Joshua Swett; Catherine’s mother, Jeanne (Carroll) Aiello, her brothers David and Michael Aiello, and her step-mother, Gwendolyn (Nunes) Aiello.
Larry and his family would also like to thank Anna Forkan and Kristen Overlock, of Revitalive Health and Wellness in Newburyport, for their loving care and support.
Larry’s life will be celebrated at The Essex Room Function Hall, 125 Main St. Essex. Visiting hours will be on Wednesday, February 4, from 4-8, followed by a funeral service on Thursday February 5, at 2:20 pm. Arrangements by the Whittier-Porter Funeral Home of Ipswich. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the L. Dexter Woodman Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 81, Essex, Massachusetts, 01929.
