Larry Woodson Obituary

Larry Woodson

Tempe - Larry Dean Woodson passed on March 17, 2018 in Tempe, Arizona at the young age of 69. He was spending the winter in Tempe with his son's family when his heart could no longer keep up with him. Woodson had been enjoying his retirement between Tempe and Glenwood Springs, CO, where he spent time with his children and grandchildren.

Woodson's early jobs were the source of many a tall tale. He dug for gold in a South Dakota gold mine, drove a combine for a wheat harvest crew across the plains states, and wrapped tasty burritos in Tempe's Dash Inn kitchen. While working on his BFA at Arizona State University he found his voice as an artist, developing works such as "Chains of Love," and "My knife, my wife, my life," which is now in the permanent collection at Phoenix College. It was through his performance art "Six Hole Arizona" that he met his wife, who wrote to him from Massachusetts about this piece.

After working for himself in the screen-printing and glass etching business for over a decade, he realized his true calling as an art educator where his passion for art mixed with affecting positive change in students' lives. He went back to ASU to obtain his teaching certificate (and later his Master's in Education) and began teaching art at Fees Middle School in Tempe. Under his direction, the arts program thrived and grew for over 20 years prior to his retirement in 2012. He enjoyed building his students' self-confidence, but more importantly showing them how to laugh and be creative in his judgement free zone where there was only 1 rule - "don't be a jerk."

Larry was also prominent in the Tempe community, a fixture at the Guadalupe, AZ Easter celebrations, and the moving force behind JR's global "Inside Out Project" in Guadalupe. He held positions with the National Art Education Association (NAEA), served as president of the Arizona Art Education Association and received many teaching awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from Tempe Diablo's Excellence in Education and the Art Educator of Year award from the NAEA.

Larry Woodson leaves behind the love of his life and wife of 40 years, Margaret McCarville Woodson; three children, Beau Desmond, Kelly Woodson and Summer Woodson Berg, and three grandchildren, Elayah, Emerson, and Ashton. Three siblings, Denise Woodson Ofria, Michael F. Woodson, and Lou Ann (Woodson) Warren, also survive Larry. He joins his parents Duane (Woody) Woodson and Frances M. Woodson (née Krider) and his grandson Sebastian R. Woodson in the great beyond.

A Celebration of Life will take place from 4:00-6:00 P.M. on Saturday, May 12 at the historic Eisendrath House in Tempe. "Live the Life You Love and Love the Life you Live"