Norman Wooldridge
February 15, 1934 – June 11, 2012
Norman Wooldridge, 78, passed away peacefully at home on June 11. He was once described by the Bainbridge Island Review as a “Thomas Jefferson clone” for his ability to listen more than he spoke. Born February 15,1934, in San Mateo, California, he developed interests as a boy in the great outdoors, in photography, in woodworking, all of which came to play in his later retirement.
Norm attended college at the University of Colorado followed by two years of military service and graduation from Stanford in engineering. After marriage to Nancy Burrows, and further study at Santa Clara University for a MA degree, he pursued a business career first in San Jose and then in Iowa.
After selling his business and moving to the northwest, he was known in early retirement years as a primary leader in the movement toward Bainbridge Island all-Island government. Continuing his involvement in local civic life, he became a two-term member on City Council. During that time, he served on every committee, always evaluating public input and putting “the right thing to do” before political popularity.
Skiing was always high on Norm’s extra curricular list. He taught skiing in college at the University of Colorado and served on ski patrol briefly at Squaw Valley. Ski vacations with Nan and their four boys were always a part of every winter as they explored many locations in the U.S., Canada, and Switzerland.
Norm loved the craft of woodworking, making fine furniture and sculpting special pieces. Biking too became an everyday, and sometimes vacation, activity. He took up photography in earnest with the Bainbridge Island Photo Club. Combined with travel, this became his greatest passion in retirement days. He received many accolades for an exhibit last September at Bainbridge Performing Arts titled “Journeys” in which he showed landscapes and people from Nepal, China and America. Inspired by images that hang in his office taken by his grandfather, a superb amateur photographer, Norm said “From China to Turkey to the streets of France, these rendered images remind us of our shared humanity as well as the ethnic and cultural diversity of the world in which we live.”
Norm is survived by his wife, Nan, of 53 years, and his four sons: Tod, Frank, Scott and Rob; three of their spouses, Leslie, Jill, and Christine; three grandchildren, Penn, Tucker and Bailey; his sister and brother-in-law, Pat and Jim Toole; and eight nephews and nieces.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, June 30, at 2 pm at Bainbridge Island City Hall.
Remembrances may be made to Helpline House, 282 Knechtel Way NE, Bainbridge Island; to Franciscan Hospice, 2901 Bridgeport Way West, University Place, WA 98466; or to Health Partners, Harrison Hospital, 19500 10th Avenue NE, Suite 100, Poulsbo, WA 98570.
TRIBUTE Paid Notice
