Alan Laurent Woodman

Alan Laurent Woodman, of Ridgecrest, CA, died June 1, 2024 at the age of 92, likely due to prostate cancer.  He was born August 24, 1931 in Evanston, IL, where he spent his childhood, growing up with his parents, Arthur and Gladys, and two sisters, Lorraine and Jackie.  After graduation from high school, he received his B.S. from the University of Illinois and in 1954, his M.S. from the University of Michigan in chemistry.

At the University of Michigan, he met his future wife, Joan Tow, while hiking and boating with the Graduate Student Outing Club.  They married upon graduation and immediately departed the Midwest for China Lake where he spent 31 years as a research chemist.

Al became a loving and dedicated father when son Peter and daughter Amy (name later changed to Kim) were born in 1955 and 1956 respectively.  Amy was born with a severe heart defect.  She had successful open-heart surgery in 1963 at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles.  During the surgery Amy needed large amounts of blood so Don Moore, a friend and coworker with the chemistry department, organized the journey to Bakersfield for the many chemists who generously donated.  The chemistry department was truly a family that took care of their own.

With Glen Bray as scoutmaster, Al and Roger Foster served as Assistant Scoutmasters of Troop 3 for many years.  Al especially enjoyed the annual 50-mile hikes and other backpacking trips.

Al developed a keen interest in geology and minerology, taking several of Dr. Carl Austin's classes at Cerro Coso Community College.  Family summer vacations often focused on mineral collecting.   Al put together an impressive collection of several hundred labeled mineral specimens.  Organizing and record-keeping were his superpowers.  His family was highly entertained with his traditional Christmas Day treasure hunts for that one last gift!

Al loved theater, opera and classical music.  He and Joan square-danced to many of the callers in southern California.  They took trips throughout the southwest to visit rock art sites.  They were stewards for a petroglyph site northwest of Ridgecrest for many years.  Their garden was always remarkable and each year had its specialty; most memorable were the peanut crops and homemade peanut butter.

Al was a man of few words with a quiet humor but he accomplished a lot.  After retirement he joked that he traded his one paying job for three non-paying jobs, primarily at the Maturango Museum, Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association, and Historical Society of Upper Mojave Desert.  He assisted with a number of annual events such as the Museum's Wildflower Show and the Audubon Christmas Bird Count for more than 20 years.

Al was predeceased by daughter Kim Kastle in November 2023.  Joan, his wife of 69 years passed away six weeks after Al.  Survivors include son Peter and daughter-in-law Susan, grandson Sam, and son-in-law Robin.  In Fall of 2022, Alan and Joan moved to High Desert Haven.  The family would like to sincerely thank the caregivers of the assisted living unit for their patience and assistance for the past year and a half.  We are also deeply appreciative of the Personal Care and Visiting Nurse Services from Ridgecrest Regional Hospital and Premier Hospice.