Wayne Woodworth
LYNDONVILLE – Wayne William Woodworth, 82, peacefully passed on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, in South Venice, Florida while visiting family.
A memorial service to celebrate Wayne’s life will be held on Friday, January 9, 2026, at the former Riverside United Methodist Church, 735 Pierce Ave., Macon, GA. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., followed by the service at 11:00 a.m. Lunch will immediately follow. Burial will take place at a later date in Lyndonville, New York.
Wayne was born on January 9, 1943, in Medina, New York, the son of the late Ivan and Marian (Allport) Woodworth. Wayne was raised on a fruit and livestock farm and was a 1961 graduate of Lyndonville Central High School in New York.
Wayne’s college years took him to Michigan and Illinois. His first job kept him in Chicago, where he met his first wife, Jane Breder. Together they raised three children in the Chicago suburbs. Wayne built a successful career as an engineer in the conveyor industry and fulfilled a lifelong dream in 1985 when he founded his own conveyor installation company, Convey or Store. He operated the business in North Aurora, Illinois, until he retired in his early 60s.
In retirement, Wayne sought warmer weather, first moving to Vero Beach, Florida, and then settling in Macon, Georgia, in 2007. In 2015, he married Jean Ivey, a Cherry Blossom Festival Senior Princess.
Wayne was a Master Gardener and dedicated much of his retirement to civic service and environmental beautification. He was a former board member of the Arbor Conservation Board and a committed volunteer and former board member of Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful (KMBB). He was KMBB’s 2025 Most Valuable Player award recipient and worked closely with the Macon-Bibb Parks & Beautification and the Fickling Family Foundation on the Cherry Blossom Trees Revitalization Project. Wayne devoted countless hours to preserving and enhancing Macon’s cherry tree legacy. Passionate and tireless in his research, he studied hundreds of cherry tree varieties, consulted growers around the world, and immersed himself in horticultural literature – all in pursuit of cherry blossoms better suited to Macon’s climate.
Wayne traveled to the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., to study Helen Taft cherry trees, which are more resistant to heat and disease than the original Yoshino trees planted in Macon. In his crawlspace and backyard nursery, he propagated flowering Helen Taft cherry trees with deeper pink blossoms. His enduring goal was to help preserve Macon’s reputation as the “Cherry Blossom Capital of the World.”
Wayne served as a church trustee and as a piano and organ player at Riverside United Methodist Church. He was a lifelong pianist whose special gift of music brought great joy to countless family members, friends, church members, and piano students.
Wayne was a man of many talents, known for his remarkable work ethic, intellectual curiosity, and boundless enthusiasm for life. He left a lasting impression on everyone who knew him and will be deeply missed.
Wayne is survived by his loving wife, Jean Ivey Woodworth (née McCarty); his three children and their spouses, Susan (Dan) Ross, Nancy Verdun and Eric (Stacie) Woodworth; his five grandchildren, Brandon Ross, Alissa Ross Buckthorpe, Tommy Verdun, Lauren Verdun and Ryan Woodworth and his two step grandchildren, Erica Ross and Michael Ross. He is also survived by his sister, Noralu Monrad, and her family; his stepchildren, Jan White, Thomas Ivey and Regina Ehrhardt, and their families; as well as many dear friends
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful, 794 Cherry Street, Macon, GA 31201, to support the planting of additional Helen Taft cherry trees in Macon.
Arrangements were entrusted to the Bogan & Tuttle Funeral Home in Lyndonville. Condolences may be shared at www.bogantuttlefunerals.com.
