Tribute

James Carter Woodey was born in Burlington, WA, to Albert and Elsie Woodey on June 8, 1942. Jim grew up in the small town of Newhalem, WA, where he loved fishing with his Dad and older sister, Carol, on the Skagit River only a short distance from their home. They moved to Seattle in 1951 where Jim graduated from Franklin High School in 1960. He attended Washington State University, then the University of Washington, where he majored in Fisheries Biology, earning his bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees there.

Jim married Margaret Rose Seeley on April 10, 1965. in 1971 they moved to British Columbia to be near Jim’s new job. They bought a 5-acre property in Aldergrove, BC, built their home, and moved in a year before welcoming their daughter, Helen in October 1974.

In 1971, Jim was hired by the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission, followed by the Pacific Salmon Commission. Jim became the Chief Biologist from 1986 to 2002. Over the years, Jim made significant contributions to the management of Fraser River Sockeye and Pink salmon. After retiring from the Salmon Commission in 2002, Jim worked as a consultant. When he fully retired in 2010, Jim enjoyed fly fishing for rainbow trout on the Skagit River in BC some 50 miles north of his original home (Newhalem)! He enjoyed more time for gardening and cooking, too.

In 2004, Jim was happy to gain a son-in-law when Helen married Dwayne Rainwater. After that, he was delighted when his two grandchildren, Lisa and Michael, were born. Jim and Dwayne enjoyed fly fishing together whenever the Rainwaters were on home assignment from their work in West Africa.

Jim lost Margaret to a stroke in April 2019. Helen and family returned to support him in 2021 when dementia began to make life challenging for him. He passed away on December 30, 2025 following a brief illness.

Jim will be greatly missed by his family and friends alike, especially his daughter, Helen, her husband Dwayne, and his two grandchildren, Lisa and Michael. His sister, Carol, and her family, who live in California, also mourn his loss. We have all been blessed to have such a good, godly man in our lives. We rejoice and have peace, knowing that he had chosen to follow Jesus and is with Him now!