Woody

What kind of person was Woody? He was many things, including activist, social worker, teacher, mentor, mountaineer, thinker, pacifist, and idealist; but these labels don't do justice to the kind of person he was. Woody led an exemplary life in many ways. A recent friend of Woody in Vermont wrote of him:

As friends of his, we wanted to say that in the time we knew Woody he was nothing but kind and loving, intelligent and thoughtful. He was benign, gentle and non-confrontational. He lived an extremely simple and straightforward non-materialistic life. He was a young man who spent much of his time caring with dedication and enthusiasm for disadvantaged children. We are sure he passed on his curiosity and cheerfulness to them. They were fortunate to know him. It is also their loss that he is gone.

Woody had many friends from the years he lived in Western Massachusetts and Connecticut, and family in Connecticut. Here are some of their rememberances of Woody. Mary Rives, who knew him since the mid-80s wrote the following portrait of him, which also appeares in the JFW Report. Zak, a good friend of Woody for 2 decades, delivered this eulogy at the first memorial service in Norwich. Another friend, Jim Hoffman, describes his first impression of Woody. Woody's friend Ursula provided a more nuanced description of him. Woody's parents gave these statements in the midst of their grief.

Woody [far left] at a picnic with friends

One of many things that was unique about Woody is how many circles of friends he had. As his friend Zak put it, "he collected friends rather than stuff." Several of these circles that were scarcely even aware of each-other became connected only after his tragic killing. His friends are notable for their diversity. Woody had an uncanny ability to relate to each person in his or her own terms. He was versatile. He was equally at home in social settings and in the wilderness, and he devoted his life to serving people, particularly disadvantaged and needy children, and raising awareness to save the natural world.