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Woody, as he was fondly called, was an inspiration to many of us in the sea turtle community. We remember his visionary, dynamic, and no nonsense leadership as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s first National Sea Turtle Coordinator and the founder of the Service’s sea turtle program in the early 1980’s. During his long career with the USFWS (1969-1993) he initially worked with Native American tribes to advance conservation efforts on reservation lands and with various endangered species conservation projects such as the Mexican wolf. He became fascinated and committed to sea turtle conservation while working in Mexico early in his career and this inspired him to establish a much needed sea turtle program within the USFWS. Woody focused urgently needed attention on critical sea turtle conservation issues such as the looming extinction of the Kemp’s ridleys and the Mexican black turtle nesting population, and the unsustainable olive ridley harvest in Mexico. He fearlessly pushed for the National Marine Fisheries Service to mandate Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in the shrimp industry during the 1980 and early 1990’s. Through Jack’s relentless and effective advocacy as well as vision and initiative he established the USFWS as a key force for sea turtle conservation domestically and internationally.

Among Jack’s greatest contributions to sea turtle conservation was his leadership and collaboration with Mexican colleagues to save the Kemp’s Ridley from the very edge of extinction. Woody won the respect and admiration of the international marine turtle conservation community for his many conservation accomplishments and in 2013, the International Sea Turtle Society, representing the global sea turtle conservation community, expressed its appreciation for his efforts and accomplishments by recognizing him with its highest and most esteemed honor: The Lifetime Achievement Award.

More than his many accomplishments, for those fortunate to be his friend or colleague, Woody was simply loved and admired for the man he was. Well after his retirement from USFWS he encouraged and advised his sea turtle colleagues still on the front lines, while cheering our victories. We will miss his humor, authenticity, goodness, and the unique determined spirit that conveyed confidence in the face of bureaucracy and other such impediments to sea turtle conservation.

Perhaps Ken Dodd put it best in his tribute to Jack, concluding with these words: “As long as sea turtles crawl from the water, they will sing his praise, even if there is a deafening silence and sadness at his loss.”

Jack Woody in Albuquerque, NM, looking out over his beloved Sandia Mountains. Photo by Ken Dodd.