Lisa Woodland

Lisa Woodland was a strong woman who loved life and lived it to the fullest. Lisa was born in a decade of radical change in America. Despite the Vietnam War, protests on college campuses, and the deaths of key political leaders, the United States made gains in the civil rights movement and the space race with the first walk on the moon. A true bright spot for the Richard and Penny Boltze family of Muskegon, Michigan was the birth of their daughter Lisa on January 15, 1965. She grew up in Fruitport with her sisters Rhonda and Brenda and her brothers Rich and Tim. Lisa was a graduate of Fruitport High, class of 1983, and a member of Fruitland Evangelical Covenant Church. That same church would host one of the happiest days of Lisa's life. It was in 1987 that Lisa met the man she would marry when she was visiting her friend Rocky. Lisa had stopped by to see Rocky, but it was his cousin Jeff Woodland who answered the door. Lisa and Jeff got to talking and the conversation moved to furnaces, of all things. Hers was broken and his profession was furnace repair. Seeing an opportunity, Jeff promised to fix the furnace for a date and a six-pack. Lisa agreed and made dinner for Jeff as their first date. It was a good deal all around. Lisa and Jeff were married on July 30, 1988 at Fruitland Evangelical Covenant Church. Lisa and Jeff shared their life with Jeff's son, Jason, who was four years old at the time they were married. He spent summers with them, which usually meant traveling and camping. In 1992, Lisa and Jeff were blessed by the birth of their daughter Katelyn, an early Christmas gift on December 5th. Katie grew up in the house that Lisa and Jeff built in 1994. They did much of the work themselves and made it their home to this day. It was a place where Lisa could relax with a good mystery novel, enjoy her cat Daisy and dog Roxy, or really get into scrapbooking. Lisa made life fun. Lisa also made her work enjoyable. In 1994, she took a job with Webb Chemical that she held for the next 12 years. Lisa was well-liked and respected. She always smiled, was funny and quick-witted. She considered a day at work especially good if she could play a joke on her boss Dick. Lisa's playfulness continued when she was around her family. Just ask her grandson Blake who taught him to burp. Anyone who knew Lisa could agree with a truth spoken by the family's friend Russ: "Everyone loved Lisa." It was an unsettling day in 2000 that a chance blood pressure check at Lisa's dental appointment revealed the first signs of kidney disease. Lisa dealt with her disease the way she did most things in life. She was always positive and didn't let any hardship keep her down. When she needed a kidney transplant in 2003, it was not surprising that her best friend Marci was the donor. What was disappointing was that Lisa's body rejected the new organ. Still, Lisa remained determined. Even on a trip to Jamaica, she took along 14 boxes of dialysis supplies so she and Jeff could enjoy a vacation together. She never complained about her illness and made the most of the health she had. As recently as this summer, she and Jeff traveled to Wisconsin on the Lake Express Ferry. It is a tribute to her life that Lisa wanted to get the most out of every moment. Lisa was fond of giving Jeff to-do lists and when he didn't respond in a timely manner she was known to take on the task herself. Once she proudly showed Jeff the a shelf she had installed in the master bathroom only to discover that she had screwed the shelf into the pocket door inside the wall. They shared a good laugh about that. A second kidney transplant in March of 2006 was an immediate success. Lisa's body received the organ well, but she was plagued with infection that eventually undermined the transplant. Lisa was just 41 years young when she was taken from her family and friends who will miss her dearly. Mrs. Lisa A. Woodland died Monday, September 11, 2006. She is survived by her husband, Jeff; son, Jason (Lisa) Woodland of Muskegon; daughter, Katie Woodland at home; 2 grandchildren, Blake and Aiden Woodland; parents, Rich and Penny Boltze of Bitely, MI; 2 sisters, Rhonda Boltze, Brenda (Bruce Gomer); 2 brothers, Rich (Stephanie) Boltze, Tim Boltze; mother and father in-law, Norma and David Williams of Muskegon; Mother-in-law, Carol Woodland. several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father-in-law, Gerald Woodland and 2 nephews, Weston Boltze and Anthony Woodland. A service celebrating Lisa's life will be held on Friday, September 15, 2006, 11:00 AM at Clock Chapel-Muskegon with Rev. Brian Kyle officiating. Interment at Fruitland Township Cemetery. Visitation will be on Thursday, 2-4 and 6-8 PM at Clock Funeral Home - Muskegon. Contributions to the Lisa Woodland Memorial Fund would be appreciated.