Jon Woody

Jon Woody, 76, of Indianapolis, Indiana, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, November 16, 2025, after a lengthy illness.  The following is an obituary written by his loving family.

He was born in Lafayette, Indiana, the son of James and Della (Spenard) Woody, who preceded him in death along with his brother, Jim, and his beloved grandparents. He graduated from Lafayette Jefferson High School and Purdue University and was a school-trained AMF bowling machine mechanic.

Jon leaves behind his wife of 52 years, Denise; a son, Thomas (Lori) of Fort Worth, Texas; a daughter, Laura (Ryan) Holt of Westfield, Indiana; and a son from a prior marriage, Jonathan Michael (Vicki) of Lafayette, Indiana. He was immensely proud of his five beloved grandchildren: Jack Woody, and Tyson, Quinn, Sailor, and Boone Holt.  He is also survived by his sister, Janis Zewari of Columbia, Maryland; sisters-in-law, Susan (John) Woolley of Nappanee, Indiana, and Linda Arrigo of Lafayette, Indiana; and several nieces and nephews.

To know Jon was to love him. Known as “Woody” to his friends and coworkers, he was loud, friendly, and never met a stranger. He greeted everyone with a big smile and sparkling blue eyes. Jon was incredibly proud of, and adored his children, and he loved his grandchildren even more. No one could match how proud he was of Tom, and he knew Laura would become a judge even before she did. He had a lifelong affection for animals and was rarely without a pet—usually a Siberian Husky—by his side.

Jon could best be described with three words: bowler, soldier, and referee. It would be difficult to say which meant the most to him. As a youngster, he learned to bowl from his Uncle Fred and at one point carried an average as high as 220. He often bowled in four or more leagues at a time and traveled throughout the Midwest to bowl in State and National tournaments. He never bowled a perfect game, but he did score a 299 once.

Serving in the Army became his mission. He joined at age 32 and rose through the ranks quickly. He loved being a soldier and took great pride in being able to serve and take his family with him to tours of duty in North Carolina, Germany, and Hawaii.

His most meaningful title, though, was referee. Jon happily served 44 years as an umpire, including 24 years with the Indiana High School Athletic Association. He officiated everything from recreational men’s, women’s, and coed softball to church leagues, middle school, high school, and college ball. He was an ASA, NSA, and USSSA certified official and spent countless evenings and weekends officiating softball, baseball, volleyball, and soccer. Jon never tolerated adults who berated young athletes; he firmly believed fields were places for children to play, learn, and grow.

In addition to officiating, Jon was an avid sports fan—especially of Purdue University athletics. He and his son, Tom, often traveled together to Purdue games around the country. In truth, Jon enjoyed nearly any sport he could find on television: golf, soccer, baseball, softball, football, basketball—and even bass fishing!

Jon was deeply loved and will be greatly missed.

Services will be held at Eric M.D. Bell Funeral Home in Pittsboro, Indiana, on Friday, November 21, 2025, with visitation from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by a short service, and then a military salute and burial at Tippecanoe Memory Gardens in West Lafayette, Indiana at 1:30 p.m.

Donations in Jon’s memory may be made to Compassus Hospice Care in Indianapolis or St. Malachy Catholic Parish in Brownsburg, Indiana.

All are encouraged to keep Jon's family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time of loss.