Michael Jon Woodside

Michael Jon Woodside

June 18, 1970 – July 28, 2023

Michael Jon (Mike) Woodside of Evergreen died peacefully at his home on July 28th after being diagnosed with a rare form of Lymphoma in November.  

He graduated from Evergreen High School in 1989 and served for 4 years as an MP in the Army, stationed in Germany, Fort Hood, and Panama.  He took advantage of the GI bill and earned a degree in Criminal Justice from Metro State College. He made a living driving big rigs.

His sister paid tribute to her brother as follows:

"He was a sincere and genuine soul that by all accounts lived by an easy and uncomplicated credo that by today’s standards is anything but ordinary. Simply put, Mike walked the line. 

"Mike fought hard against one of the rarest and most aggressive forms of lymphoma. He honestly never complained and faced each day with an unwavering silent courage I’ve never seen up close in another human. He found joy in the simplest of things these last 8 months and showed enormous gratitude to everyone for everything. 

"He leaves behind a 17-year-old son that brought him so much joy. He was a proud and dedicated father who found true purpose in giving all of his free time and resources to raising Ryan. 

"Doing the right thing has always come easily to my brother. His innate reflex has always been to treat people well, fulfill his obligations, tell the truth and live up to his promises the very best he could. 

"He joined the Army, going to Boot Camp within 2 weeks of graduating High School. He served 4 years as a Military Policeman. His longest assignment was in Germany where he guarded nuclear weapons. He completed Airborne school, spent time in Ft. Hood, one month in Kuwait on secret assignment and spent some time in Panama. 

"Mike has never really pushed the envelope, always respecting authority, adhering to the laws that keep a society civil. He didn’t take up bad habits like smoking or experiment with drugs. He seemed to always drink within reason. To be honest, I’ve never seen the guy out of control or act recklessly. He understood consequences and chose to avoid them. 

"I think, if asked, he might consider himself unremarkable. Most of us live in a world that seems to be starved for attention and likes, yet my brother has lived his life with a moral compass that has required none of that."

His mother adds:

“He was dependable, honest, and seldom missed a day of work. He didn’t take vacations or look for handouts.  As his sister would say, he did everything right but never caught a break. On-the-job accidents set him back more than once. Yet he was dedicated to making his child support payments, making sure he spent quality time with his son, paying his bills on time, seldom using a credit card, and trying to save for a rainy day.”

He is survived by his son, Ryan Woodside of Thornton; mother, Linda Kirkpatrick of Evergreen; father, Willard Woodside of Albuquerque, NM; and sister, Amy Kenney of Littleton.

A memorial service will be held in his honor at Fort Logan National Cemetery on Friday, August 18, 2023 at 3:00 pm.  Attendees will gather at 2:45 in Staging Area C.  A reception will follow at 5503 S. Prince Street in Littleton.

Donations may be made in Mike’s name to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 720 S. Colorado Blvd. Suite 520-N, Denver, CO 80246.

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