Former Athabasca County Manager Jim Woodward passed away last Tuesday morning at the Grey Nuns Community Hospital in Edmonton. He had been in palliative care in hospital since Jan. 9.
Involved in municipal politics since 1980, Woodward served as recreation director for the town and county. He served as county manager for 20 years from 1987 to 2009, when he was succeeded by Gary Buchanan.
ìFor those that worked with him, heís remembered as a consummate people person,î read a statement from Athabasca County. ìAble to make you smile, he knew everyone by name and didnít hesitate to recognize hard work with notes of appreciation. Staff well-being was his priority and his door was always open.î
ìJim was somebody you could really depend on. His word was gold,î said Berkley Ferguson, who served as reeve for eight years and as a county councilor for 20.
ìJim was honest. Heíll be missed. He did a lot for the community as whole ñ for the county and the town, and Iím just heartbroken that heís not here anymore.î
Former reeve Arno Birkigt also has fond memories of him.
ìJim was really dedicated to the community Ö He was just full of life, larger than life,î recalled Birkigt. ìHe had a great sense of humour. He was actually exceedingly loyal to the (county) council, and he was very interested in community development and worked hard to reduce the burden on the local taxpayer. He was recognized as a very fine administrator by all of his colleagues.î
Woodward was also a well-known member of the Athabasca Rotary Club and a mentor as part of the Peer Network for Municipal Dispute Resolution.
According to Rotarian Noel Major, he was instrumental in the development of the Athabasca Regional Multiplex and Riverfront projects.
ìIn the spirit of ëService Above Self,í (Woodward) was a lively figure who believed in building community by having fun,î said Athabasca Rotarian Jackie Hobal in a written statement. ìRotary will miss Jim and so will members of Rotary District 5370,î she said.
Athabasca Rotarian Brian Hall said Woodward was ìin good spirits and optimisticî towards the end of his life.
ìHe lived the belief system of a Rotarian,î said Birkigt, also a member of the Athabasca Rotary Club for a time. Birkigt described his colleague as being a steadfast proponent for municipal cooperation and ìa hardworking member of the community, and he will be missed.î
Woodward was also Justice of the Peace ìfor many years,î according to Birkigt, a provincially administered title that allowed him to marry a number of local couples from the area.
ìJim touched me in so many ways to list a few ñ oldtimer hockey, fishing, curling, acting as Justice of the Peace for our sonís wedding and being a leader in our local Rotary Club,î said Walter Cummings, an Athabasca Rotarian and local optometrist, in a written statement.
ìI will always remember his ability to be an outstanding (Master of Ceremonies) for various functions including Rotary events. It was always a pleasure just to sit down and have a conversation with Jim,î said Cummings.
Al Harvey, a peer for the Peer Network and currently CAO of Lamont County, remembers Jim Woodward as ìabsolutely a wonderful mentor, supporter and friend.î
Harvey said he knew Woodward since 1981 when he was the Parks and Recreations Superintendent in Lac Ste. Anne County for six years, around the time Woodward was working within Town and County Recreation.
ìJim was always memorable, he was always forthright, he was always honest and he was somebody that was quite willing to listen and quite willing to help where he could,î said Harvey.
The former county manager has been honoured with numerous awards, including the R.W. Hay Award for excellence in municipal administration, the Order of Athabasca University and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal on Jan. 16, 2013.
ìI know that I will very, very much miss the talks that the two of us were able to have,î said Harvey. ìI had a huge amount of respect for that man.î
