Ross Eardly Woodward Jr.

Ross Eardly Woodward, Jr., 90, peacefully passed away at his home in Mill Creek, WA, on October 9, 2023. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife and eternal companion, Elaine, of 64 years; his children, Rhonda (Greg) Osborne-Melchin, Kevin (Cindy) Woodward, Randy Woodward, Linda (Lance) Lamprecht; 19 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren; and his siblings, John (Connie) Woodward, Marilyn Haymond, and Bob (Penny) Woodward. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ross Sr. and Irene Woodward, son, Scott Woodward, and son-in-law, Rick Osborne.

Ross was born on October 15, 1932, in Seattle, WA. He lived his childhood years in Lake City, WA. During World War II, his mother and siblings moved to Alamo, NV, to live with family while his father worked in Venezuela supporting the war effort. After the war, Ross' father returned and moved the family to Queen Anne Hill in Seattle where Ross lived until he graduated from high school. Ross’ next years were filled with adventure – serving 4 years domestically in the Air Force during the Korean war; serving 2 years as a missionary in England for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; attending and receiving a bachelor's degree in business administration from Brigham Young University; and meeting and marrying the love of his life, Elaine.

Ross will always be remembered as one who had a burning passion for work and serving others. He spent his early adult years in Las Vegas, NV, running a sprinkler business, followed by many years in Everett, WA, as a general contractor. He was responsible for the building of many custom homes and condominiums. Ross was a gifted and detailed contractor.

The crown jewel of his career was building temples for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1999, Ross and Elaine were called to serve a temple-building mission constructing the Medford, OR, temple. They loved serving and building temples together for the purpose of sealing families eternally and setting the stage for all God's children to return to live with Him again. In 2000, they accepted an assignment to assist in the building of the Columbia River, WA, temple. During his later years, he assisted in seven more temple construction projects. Ross loved the people he worked with which led to lifelong friendships. Building temples brought great joy as he dedicated his life in service and building temples unto the Lord.

Ross loved people, and his love language was giving service to others, especially if it involved using a power tool. He looked for opportunities to lighten the load of others and would freely give of himself without expecting anything in return.

Ross' ultimate joy in life was his family. He deeply loved his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and they loved him! He never missed an opportunity to express his love. He was genuinely interested and involved in their lives. Almost daily, you would hear Ross say, "I am truly blessed." He lived his life in a state of gratitude.

The family celebrates his reuniting with loved ones on the other side of the veil and looks forward to honoring the great man that he is! A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 11:00 am at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 9509 19th Ave. SE, Everett, WA 98208. The service will also be broadcast on Zoom at the following link:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/92058782515?pwd=Vi80SXBqOHdrK09HMGw3ajB5SWdyZz09

Meeting ID: 920 5878 2515

Passcode: 1234

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Evergreen-FH.com for the Woodward family.