Larry Woodrow, at the age of 68, passed away peacefully on Friday, May 22, 2026. He passed doing the thing he wanted to do, which was helping people.
Larry was born on April 17, 1958, in Gouverneur, the son of Lawrence and Louise (Babcock) Woodrow. He graduated from Gouverneur Central School in 1976. On October 15, 1999, he married Julie Ablan at St. James Church in Gouverneur with Rev. Daniel Chapin officiating.
He is survived by his wife, Julie; his children, April (Ken) Labrecque, Michael (Allison) Ablan-Woodrow, and Franklin (Erika) Woodrow; four grandchildren, Kendra, Kaitlyn, Emery, and Fallyn; three great-grandchildren, Harlow, Harvey, and Haisley; a sister, Pam (Jody) Bovay; three brothers, Rusty Woodrow, Randy Woodrow, and Ricky (Trudy) Woodrow; and a special friend, William “Willy” Redmond.
Larry had a gift for making significant psychological changes while appearing on the outside to make no changes at all (except maybe his waistline).
In Larry's younger years, he earned the nickname "Skid" because... well, maybe let's not go there. If you know, you know.
In Larry's older years, he earned the name "Larranon the Wise" because of his constant effort to selflessly give everything he had to family, friends, or even a stranger who appeared to have lost their path in this world. Larry loved rooting for the underdog.
Larry didn't care about material things (are those the same clothes from 10 years ago?). What he loved was spending time with his family and friends. He enjoyed activities such as hunting, fishing, playing cards, trap shooting, grabbing coffee with friends at McDonald's, shooting craps, hunting for deals, and retelling stories from the old days when Skid prowled the streets. He even had a 6-year period as the high school swim coach, in which he stepped in to save the program from dissolving. Under his guidance, the team broke several records over the years and went on to compete in states.
Now, given a choice, he would have just had fun, but in this world, a man has to work. So for work, he rotated based on the season he was in. In his younger years, he worked construction for the St. Lawrence Highway Dept. and the Local 322 Laborers Union. In his middle years, he taught himself computer repair and co-owned Ablan's Business Center with his wife, Julie, for 20+ years. In his later years, he went back to his roots in construction. He worked at the local hardware stores, as well as wiping the dust off his construction hard hat to get into business with his son, overseeing and managing large home renovation projects. In his final days, he spent his time transporting people to doctors and medical appointments in the tri-county area.
After reading the above, one would think that Larry was extremely dialed into his health and disciplined with his diet. You'd have to be, to do all of these activities... right? Well, if you knew Larry, you know he didn't always like to do things the easy way. So in order to bump up the difficulty in life, he would do what all real men do, which is to do whatever they damn well please.
For Larry, this involved cruising around in his silver Dodge, chain-smoking Marb Reds while scheming up some new money-making idea that he might pursue someday. To celebrate a great brainstorming session, he liked to reward himself with all of the sweets his heart desired.
Despite putting aspects of life on hardcore mode, he was never one to pass off responsibility or spend time complaining. If he gave you his word that he would do something, then it would take an act of God to stop him. But just remember, he never said he would do it quickly. Larry had his own gear that he moved in, so you'd better get used to it.
Larry's love was felt and known by people spanning many generations. He gave all that he had to give, no matter what the cost to him. He wouldn't have it any other way.
Calling hours were held on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at Frary Funeral Home, 33 Park Street, Gouverneur, from 11 AM until the time of service at 1 PM with Rev. Jaya Francis officiating. Burial will follow at Riverside Cemetery in Gouverneur. Online condolences may be shared with Larry’s family at www.fraryfuneralhome.com