Surrounded by family and friends, Michael Steven Woodard passed away peacefully Tuesday, Oct. 13, at home. He was 59.

It was fitting that so many visited him in his final days; they were drawn to him in life. He was shy but friendly, unassuming but outgoing and, always, kind and generous.

Michael was born June 23, 1950, in Seattle. After graduating from Shoreline High School, he served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.

After the war, he succumbed to wanderlust, traveling extensively in foreign lands.

But he was always drawn home, especially to his beloved Stuart Island where he lived a life on the land, building his own house and raising goats and chickens and growing fruits and vegetables.