Vale - Edward (Woody) Hawthorne, 27 Jul 1992 – 29 Aug 2022

Members will be saddened to learn that Woody Hawthorne has passed away after losing his battle with lung cancer.  This is a tragic loss of a vital and widely liked young man.  Even more tragic as Woody never touched a cigarette.
 
Woody Hawthorne was born into sailing.  In fact, 9 months after Woody was born, his parents, Rod and Sally, undertook their around the world voyage on their Swan 47, Tropic Star. He literally gained his sea legs before he could walk.
 
I met Woody when he was a young lad of 6 or 7 years of age via Mosman Prep School.  He was part of the same school class as my son Angus.  Through fathers and sons’ camps, school sports, sleep overs, and family holidays, a strong bond was developed between the boys and our families. 

Woody and the Carpenter kids spent endless hours mucking about on Samarkand and Tropic Star with frequent weekend raft-ups in Broken Bay and Sydney Harbour.  He was a happy, inquisitive, and outgoing youngster.  Always active building some new contraption or other.
 
Following prep school, Woody attended Scots College where he gained a reputation as one of their best pipers in the school band for many years.  He then attended St Andrews College at Sydney University where he gained degrees in Engineering and Commerce.  In 2012 and 2013 he was awarded the Gillespie Prize for “outstanding ability in Information Technology”.
 
Woody was not a spectator of life.  He had a fair crack at anything that took his fancy.  In 2016, Woody took a role with Sir Ben Ainslie’s Land Rover BAR America’s Cup Challenge Team.  Woody spent 12 months living in the UK and working with the team. More recently, he had been living his dream putting his Engineering Degree (mechatronics) to good practice and working for Sail GP as a Systems and Simulation Engineer.
 
Woody was a regular crew member onboard Nine Dragons, frequently as bowman. He was also an active member of the Sydney University Athletics Club and the Palm Beach Surf Club where he met his long-time partner, Claire.

All of us who knew Woody remember his infectious smile, his kind heart, and his love of sailing.  

A funeral service for Woody will be held at Scots College Chapel, 11.00 am Friday 9 September. 

Our sincere condolences to Woody’s parents, Rod and Sally and his partner Claire.
 
Walter Carpenter