Mid Afternoon May 4, 2020,

Woody's accelerated past B1,

The speed at which stopping is no long possible,

Committed to fly,

Wheels up one last time,

Leaving this earth for one final climb,

Headed for a still distant and beckoning destination,

You are forever on our wing,

We love you dad

These were the words for a final farewell to John Richard Charlton Woodman 'Woody' of Robertson.

The words were written by one of Woody's sons, Ed, and read out with brothers Ben and Matt, during a farewell to a much-loved husband, father and friend on May 18.

The service paid tribute to a man who lived life to the fullest, loved with all his heart and was a saviour to wildlife.

His family and friends were not short of a good story to tell about the man who was a great friend and a real character.

Woody was born on March 23, 1947 in Melbourne Victoria Australia but he grew up in Perth.

In 1964 he was awarded a Flying Scholarship by the Royal Australian Air Force and commenced his flying raining with the Royal Aero Club of Western Australia.

By 1965 he had successfully applied for a position with Qantas Airways on their newly-formed cadet pilot training scheme for a Commercial Pilot Licence and a Flight Navigator Licence.

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Having already learnt to fly with the Air Cadets back home in Perth, he romped through his course, and after graduating in September 1967, he spent his general aviation secondment in Western Australia building up his flying hours at the Royal Aero Club of Western Australia.

His wife Kerstin said that "rumour has it that while being a flight instructor at the Royal Aero Club of Western Australia, he did a joy flight with his mate Mike Turkovic, doing wheelies over his mum's house at Scarborough until she hung a sheet on the clothes hoist to acknowledge him."

Moving to Sydney in January 1969, Woody started his training to become a Second Officer on the B707.

Because of National Service requirements, this was interrupted occasionally when he spent periods with the Army Reserve in the Holsworthy Army Base outside Sydney where he was very adept at running the bar in the Sergeants' Mess.

A tribute to Woody at his farewell service read as follows:

When not proudly wearing his uniform and flying around the world, Woody spent his early years in Qantas living the good life on the Lower North Shore.

Starting at the auspiciously named Royal Private Hotel on the waterfront at Neutral Bay, he then spent his days with a bunch of mates in an 'infamous' house called Ada Street.

To the admiration of his housemates, his organisational skills, learnt in the army, ensured that Ada Street had the best parties in town every Saturday night. Those early years became a permanent part of his life, and over the decades.

Throughout his flying career, Woody was always the lovable rogue, but he put his all into Qantas, progressing through the ranks and flying all the big jets; the B707, B747, B767 and finally the B744.

While flying the B767, he was a Training Captain. He also spent many years on the AIPA Committee of Management holding the portfolio of Accommodation and Allowances, always to the benefit of the pilots, but still maintaining the respect of the company for his professionalism.

After an unblemished career, due to health issues, Woody retired as a Captain in January 2012.

Woody has three sons from his first marriage, Matthew, Edward and Benjamin who were all still living in Roseville, on Sydney's northshore.

As a family they were often accompanying Woody to what ever destination he was travelling.

Woody, back then, was always tinkering with something. His garage was full of the latest tools and equipment courtesy of his trips abroad. He loved his classic cars. There were regularly large parties and gatherings at Roseville.

He never passed up an opportunity to have a party. Long lunches ending after midnight were all too common.

In 1993 during one of Woody's flights to Frankfurt, Germany, he was introduced to Kerstin Schweth. Woody and various flight crews became regular visitors to Germany.

In October 1995 Kerstin visited Australia for the first time. After a few more visits to Australia, Woody and Kerstin decided to move in together.

Kerstin said "it was not an easy task when you live 16,000km apart." She gave up her job, packed her belongings and said goodbye to friends and family to be with Woody.

Initially they lived in Mosman and Seaforth.

Not only did they get involved in the rescuing and rehabilitating of Australian wildlife, but also became "bikies", riding motorbikes all over the Australian countryside or abroad during Woody's layovers.

A tree change took place in 2006 with the couple moving to Robertson, to a run down property with a view that made it shine.

They commenced renovations in 2009, but this was brought to a halt due to various serious health issues with both Woody and Kerstin.

In 2010 Woody and Kerstin got married after a long engagement. The marriage took place in Hahndorf, South Australia.

Disappointingly, due to health reasons Woody was required to retire from flying commercial aeroplanes in 2012.

Woody and Kerstin took a breather, but soon became further involved in the wildlife sector, with Woody holding various positions on the NSW Wildlife Council and within Wildlife Rescue South Coast.

Caring for orphaned wildlife proved to be a full time job (day and night), and a great passion.

Woody became well known and treasured by everyone he met along the way including the staff at the Office of Environment and Heritage (former National Parks) and the Wingecarribee Shire Council, as well as many other wildlife sanctuaries and among fellow carers.

In what little spare time he had, Woody would jump onto his motorbike and cruise around the countryside, either alone, with Kerstin or other biker friends.

Woody was proud of the wildlife sanctuary the Robertson Care Centre "Native Wildlife Rescue" under the authority of Wildlife Rescue South Coast Inc, which he and Kerstin established over the past 14 years, and the community service it provided.

His next project was to get involved in establishing a Wildlife Hospital in the Southern Highlands.

Kerstin and others involved will try to ensure that his wished will be followed through.

In a tribute to Woody at his farewell service Kerstin described her husband as a loving, caring, mischievous mate to so many people and family including his four grandchildren.

"The love for Woody will continue and he will stay in all the hearts he touched," she said.

"Up to his death he was in close and regular contact with former school friends from Perth, many colleagues and friends from Qantas as well fellow wildlife carers."

Kerstin said there was "not a dry eye anywhere as we farewelled the pilot, the storyteller, the traveller, the car enthusiast, the husband, the father and wildlife warrior."

Highlands Wildlife Hospital

Kerstin said that "for so long we have needed a resource and facility to help our injured wildlife in the region.

"A month before Woody died he started working closely with Amanda Fry (VP NWR) to bring such a project to life," she said.

"A Wildlife Hospital in the Wingecarribee area was his final dream."

Kerstin and Amanda have the full support of the Wildlife Rescue South Coast Inc for a Southern Highlands-based Wildlife Hospital and consider it an essential step in animal protection.

As such they will continue to liaise with key organisations locally and federally to make this a reality.

"Currently, we utilise vets who help where they can and our own network of members, but we need more resources so a facility that specialises in the unique care of our native species' would be ideal to help support our members from Wollongong to the Victorian border as well as ensure vulnerable species have an improved chance of survival," Kerstin said.

"We shall be missing, immensely, an integral part of our team, but we continue to rescue and rehabilitate injured and orphaned wildlife. This is what Woody wanted us to do."

The man who spent his career in the cockpit of aeroplanes and was described by his wife Kerstin as an "irreplacable wildlife warrior" is now flying high for eternity.

Meanwhile, his memory will continue to live on through the work of Wildlife Rescue South Coast Inc and the Robertson Care Centre Native Wildlife Rescue.