John T. Woodhouse,III (Woody) died last Monday of an alleged self-inflicted wound. I knew Woody for over 40 years. We sailed thousands of miles together and it was always an adventure. We were not best friends. Our relationship was up and down. I am pleased to report that our relationship was in an up mode at the time of his passing.
Woody was a local sailing legend at a young age in Michigan. He parlayed his sailing talents into a very successful career as the owner of Hood Sails which was based in Newport, Rhode Island. Woody was like a very hot fire. He made you feel warm and He made you laugh (allot). However, if you got too close to Woody you could suffer a burn or two. I spent a week with Woody in June of 2014 at his home in Newport. I was waiting for my sentencing date and jumped at the opportunity to deliver a friends boat to Newport and sail in the Etchells World Championships. At the time, Woody was not doing very well either. He had been battling cancer for years and it had taken a terrible toll on him. He had lost his business, He was getting divorced, and He had lost most of his assets. The two of us spent almost every evening reminiscing over old sailing stories and our shared history together. We were both in a bad place. The only difference being I was solely responsible for the place I was in while Woody was only partially responsible for his situation. Despite our circumstances, we did not have a pity party. We talked about our future plans and how we would emerge from our current situations
I will treasure our talks from that week as they were meaningful and real, not the normal surface level conversation that is commonly exchanged between friends. If there is sailing in the afterlife, Woody will be there at the front of the fleet.
Woody, I am sorry I will miss your funeral but I am tied up at the moment in Jesup, Georgia. However, I expect I will see you again.
Ken Flaska
Ken – Facebook tells me today is your birthday – thinking of you and sending you good wishes! cindi