Jack Woods, 85 of Mendota died October 3, 2017, at the Illinois Veteran's Home-LaSalle. Funeral services will be Saturday at 12:30 p.m., in the Merritt Funeral Home, Mendota with Rev. Bill Ultch officiating. Burial will be in Troy Grove Cemetery with military rites by Mendota VFW Post 4079. Visitation will be Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the funeral home.

Jack was born November 1, 1931 in Princeton, Indiana the son of Paul and Leona (Harmon) Woods. He graduated from Princeton High School in 1949 in Princeton Indiana.

Jack's greatest pride and joy in life were his wife, three girls, and his grandchildren. He followed every activity baseball, volleyball, football. He also loved traveling (always driving) some of his best years were following his grandson James who was in travel baseball and is daughter Alison who played college volleyball, he and Rose rarely missed a game. He really enjoyed fishing taking trips with his wife and her family to Minnesota or Kentucky Lake, or going camping at Yogi Bear with his family and good friends all this gave him great enjoyment. While not having boys, he was an active leader in Boy Scouts for years. He was the Scout Master of one of the largest troop's in Mendota "Troop 106".

Jack was drafted to the Army in 1952 where he spent time in the Korean War. After military service he attended Tulane University on a basketball scholarship, due to his father's illness he returned home to work on the family farm. While having the continued love of basketball he and his brother Bill joined the Hitch Packing Basketball team and the General Baptist Church league. While playing with Hitch Packing they entered tournaments and played against semi-pro basketball teams with famous players like Jerry Sloan and others. Jack worked as a butcher/salesman for Hitch Packing Company. This is where he met and later married Nila Rose Willis of Petersburg, IN.   They were wed on July 3 ^rd , 1958. After marriage they lived and worked in Princeton until they later moved to Mendota, IL in 1963 where Jack took a job with Swift and Company in Rochelle, IL.   He always kept a second job to provide for his family. When Swift closed in 1981 he went to work at Trekker Chemical Company in Mendota.   Upon retirement he continued being active gardening and a helping his son in-law.

He is survived by three daughters, Ginger (Jeff) Miller of Elgin, Gaylene (David) Thompson of Troy Grove, and Alison Woods of Kenosha, WI; three grandchildren Grant Thompson (Lindsay), James Giacometti, and Leslie (Jake) Miller; three great grandchildren Ezra Onyx and Astrid Alaia Thompson and Lyla Rose Miller; three step grandchildren Jayme (Arnel) Miller-Flores, Ryan and Zach Miller and one step great grandson Drake Flores. He is also survived by one brother Bill (Anita) Woods of Nebraska, and one sister in-law Mazo Woods of Indiana, and several nieces and nephews.

Jack was preceded in death by his parents, wife Rose, one brother Tom, and five sisters, Virginia, Mae, Maxine, Polly, & Marlene.

Memorials may be directed to the Illinois Veteran Home LaSalle.