STEVE REID
Editor & Publisher
sreid@lbknews.com
What makes someone indelible?
Sometimes it is force of personality or charm or charisma. Sometimes it is intellect or accomplishments.

But in the case of Longboat Key resident Woody Wolverton, all of these qualities coalesced into a singular personality that stood out in every occasion and left an impact making him something of a local legend. Sadly, especially for those left with cherished memories, Wolverton passed last Monday at 91 years of age in his beloved Longboat Key home.
No single story can catalogue the expanse of life and all of Woody’s undertakings. To start, he was a tremendous football player, being instrumental as a two-time champion for the Oklahoma Sooners football team in 1955 and 1956 during their 47-game win streak.
Decades later, while living on Longboat Key, he earned his rating at age 80 to fly a twin jet plane. He stayed connected with the Sooner football organization and flew coaches around Oklahoma to visit prospects and recruit.
And his passion for flying was life-long. He not only served as a pilot in the Army for eight years in the 1960s, he served as a flight instructor as well as accomplished helicopter pilot.

Following his Army career, Wolverton worked in the furniture industry in Oklahoma before moving to Longboat Key in the late 1980s. His path quickly intersected with another legendary character of the island, Colony Beach and Tennis Resort founder Dr. Murf Klauber.
Woody and Murf spent countless hours together, not only as friends, but in numerous Longboat activities such as the Kiwanis Club. In fact, when Woody passed, he served as the island’s Longest Serving Kiwanian, having joined in 1990. He served as President of the Kiwanis Club, and his personality and commentary flowed as he flipped pancakes during fundraisers and in planning sessions for the annual Lawn Party fundraiser.
Friend and co-Kiwanian, Lazy Lobster Owner Michael Garey, said Woody’s passion for the Kiwanis Club was unwavering.
“Just two weeks ago, he and I were on the phone strategizing for this year’s event. Woody brought

thousands of dollars to our Club through his tireless sponsorship efforts,” said Garey.
Many lives intertwine on a small island such as Longboat Key, and Woody’s, Klauber’s and Garey’s overlapped on many levels. Garey says he knew Woody long before Kiwanis and Lazy Lobster as they were close friends of his mentor, Murf Klauber, and founder of Cafe L’Europe, Titus Letschert.
But beyond the Kiwanis and flying helicopters and jets there is undeniably an even more important aspect to life and that is love.
And maybe through all of Wolverton’s wanderings, the day he walked into Coldwell Banker on the south end of the island turned truly transformative. It is there he met Sue Louis.
Louis served as the Managing Broker and although nothing developed immediately, it was that meeting

that led Wolverton to find the love of his life and Sue became the person he shared the final decades of his life. And while the causation of love remains always a mystery, the fact that Sue was a pilot and her three children had all graduated from Oklahoma State created an instant bond. In fact, it was Woody who asked Sue on their first date if she rooted for any college football teams and she immediately blurted out, “Yes, the Sooners!”
Soon after their first date, Wolverton lost a Bijon Frise puppy after it drowned in his pool. This left Wolverton, who was very attached to his dogs, devastated. Sue helped Wolverton during his grief and their love never waned.
In true Longboat style, Woody and Sue married on New Year’s Day 2006 at the former Colony Beach & Tennis Resort. Sarasotan Bob Roskamp performed the ceremony in front of more than 120 guests and employed an American Indian clay vessel from New Mexico that depicted symbols for marriage including a

mountain, a house and fertility. He joked at the service, “You better watch out Sue,” after he said the word fertility.
Beyond love and the Kiwanis, Wolverton served as a stockbroker, financial advisor, and as a Longboat Key Town Commissioner in the 1990s.
For former Republican Club President Joe McElmeel, Woody was not only highly educated with Engineering degrees, but also had a sizeable allocation of street smarts and could acclimate into any social situation with ease.
“Woody was a guy you could always count on. He was fun. He would say things for effect and was an instigator but was never a mean person,” said McElmeel.
McElmeel said that the smartest thing Woody ever did was marry Sue, but added, “The stupidest thing Woody did was marry his first wife twice and divorce her twice.”
McElmeel said they would tease him about that all in good fun and as part of the camaraderie Woody both enjoyed and brought to most any social setting.
McElmeel said that Woody was truly an American and loved his country and was the consummate Republican.
“Most Republicans are laid back and docile. Woody was not,” added McElmeel.
And while it will be difficult for his wife Sue and son Brendan following his passing, one thing is certain: Their lives, the lives of countless Longboat Key residents and the island itself were all fortunate to have someone with as much zest, zeal and passion for life as Woody Wolverton.
A funeral mass for Woody will be held at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 27 at St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic Church on Longboat Key.