Jess Woods
d. December 10, 2018
Jess Woods
Jess "Woody" Woods, a caterer and clown, will long be remembered for serving a lot of good ole' Arkansas food, to people from all over the world and bringing laughter to children and grownups alike for over fifty years. He passed away December 10, 2018 in Little Rock, Arkansas at the age of 94.
Woody was born on September 8, 1924 in Picron, Arkansas, a small town just east of present day Little Rock and often identified as the Fourche Dam area.
Skill, imagination and competitiveness were qualities Woody had throughout his life. Woody was full of money-making strategies as a youngster. He participated in yo-yo contests, performed with his older siblings on the radio station KGHI singing and playing tunes on a fiddle loaned to him by the Salvation Army, set up carnivals, sold ice cream and shined shoes at Camp Robinson.
In 1943, Woody was inducted into the United States Army and later attached to the Fourth Marine Division, Fourth Signal Company, serving in Pearl Harbor and Iwo Jima during WWII as a Radio Operator. Woody, like many who served in WWII saw the chaos, destruction and mayhem of the war as he experienced it. A glossy memory of WWII was the popularity of pinups and Woody amassed a huge number of these autographed, often with a little personal message to him. These were priceless gifts sent to him when he was thousands of miles away, not knowing if he would ever return home as he crawled through the mud carrying a rifle on some distant battlefield. These thirty-two treasures are now on loan to the General Douglas McArthur Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas.
After his discharge from the service, Woody attended Air Conditioning and Refrigeration School and began his career with Arkansas Refrigeration as a supervisor overseeing the mechanical section of the company. He soon moved to General Air Conditioning where his main duty was to sell as many contracts for new service as possible and then to be on call 24 hours a day to service these contracts. After his time with a third air conditioning company, Woody took the great opportunity to establish himself in a new career, one that would change his whole life.
"Woody's Barbeque" opened for business in 1955 and became a regular morning school stop for NLR High School star running back Jerry Jones, who today is CEO and owner of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys. Jerry and the young clientele would come in droves to see Woody dip a scoop of ice cream, throw it behind his back, catch the scoop on an ice cream cone and hand it to the buyer. It was not long until Woody was flipping a second scoop on top to the crowds cheer, "Throw it, throw it, throw it."
It was not long before "catering" and Woody" became almost synonymous in Little Rock following his first catering job for thirty teachers at Levy Elementary School. He also had a lucrative side business as well, making and selling hot tamales in many major grocery stores and restaurants in the area. His knack for preparing and serving food and his attention to detail and quality paid off in customer satisfaction, but it was his advertising schemes that showed his true creativity.
He once had a flier printed that looked like a political campaign poster that featured his smiling face and proclaimed, "Re-elect Jess "Woody" Woods as your caterer." He also listed four "political" promises: To Serve All; Use Highest Quality Foods; Give the Most Efficient Service; and Promise Always to Serve Hot Food. People loved his humor and people loved Woody.
In 1957, Woody bid on, had his proposal accepted and opened up an amusement park in Burns Park to include rides, a kiddy zoo and refreshments for both children and adults.
The encouragement Woody had received as a boy from the Salvation Army was a reminder and Woody never hesitated to give back part of what he had earned through his own hard work and determination to those in need. He joined the Masons in 1946 and became involved with their charitable activities, especially their circuses. He progressed through the ranks and became a Shriner in 1953. In 1959 he organized a clown unit in the Shrine. It was a dream come true for Woody, as he was always a clown underneath his business man's exterior. He had honed his comedic skills at the restaurant, catering business and amusement park and now he could finally shine as an entertainer, and for a worthy cause, entertaining shut-ins, children, elderly and the sick or restricted.
Woody learned to apply greasepaint and fashioned a clown costume of his own design based on his favorite clown, Red Skelton. He had always enjoyed entertaining people, from the beginnings of his days playing music with his siblings and standing on corners singing with the Salvation Army, and now he could not only bring that dream to reality, but also exercise his sense of humor in his catering work often dressing up as "Woody the Clown", marching out with his Hurdy Gurdy, a hand cranked organ, joking and singing. Clowning gave him a great sense of satisfaction and joy and Woody would frequently perform for hospitals, orphanages and schools. He would hand out small party favors including play money with his picture on it, balloon headdresses, and candy. In 1974, being blessed with his successful business, Woody began handing out real two dollar bills as a way of giving back to the community who had given him so much good fortune. John 3:16 was and is still today, 44 years later, written next to his autograph, Woody. He signed his last two dollar bill in the summer of this year.
Woody was one of the Shriners' most active clowns. He once visited the late Arkansas Governor Oral Faubus and persuaded him to proclaim Clown Week, starting August 1, 1957. To this day it remains an annual event celebrated the first week of August by the state of Arkansas.
In March of 1963 Woody sold the amusement park, bought a larger facility to process his tamales at a rate of nearly four thousand per day and bought all of the equipment used for catering from Hanks Dog House, then the largest in Arkansas, and incorporated it into his own equipment. This made Woody's Catering Service the only business in the state devoted exclusively to catering. By 1967 Woody pursued the idea of installing a kitchen in the new Convention Center in Hot Springs, AR. A Public Notice was posted, he was the only one to submit a bid and he signed an agreement to an exclusive lease. He also purchased forty acres of land in Sherwood, Arkansas, was granted a Small Business Administration loan in 1976 and opened Woody's Sherwood Forest, his dream multi-purpose facility, in 1977. The clown who was able to entertain children and adults and bring laughter to their hearts would now have his own place to exercise these talents and it was then he adopted the slogan "It's Your Laughter I'm After".
Woody was always a bundle of energy and after he joined the Shriners, he was President of the Central States Clown Association in 1963 and served as the Potentate of the Scimitar Shrine Temple in 1975. He was named to the Legion of Honor of the DeMolay, was a member of American Legion Post Number One, and a 36-year choir member of the Levy United Methodist Church. He also assisted with the United Fund, later to become the United Way, the Boy Scouts, was a charter member of the North Little Rock Jaycees, and organized the Razorback Booster Club of North Little Rock. Woody was given the distinguished "Wild Hog" membership in 1958, an honor normally reserved for elite bankers, who contributed to the University of Arkansas athletic program. In 1999 the Masonic Lodge of Oak Grove named Woody "Citizen of the Year" and that same year he received an honorary "Paul Harris Fellow" from the Sherwood Rotary Club. In 2002 Woody received the Channel Four "Community Service Award", a statewide competition that recognized one individual each year who had "gone beyond volunteering" to help those in need. This award was chosen by the Office of the Governor, the Arkansas Department of Human Services and Channel Four TV (KARK). With explicit recognition of his feeding the homeless at the Union Rescue Mission on Thanksgiving and Christmas for numerous years, Woody wore his full clown costume to accept the award. He gave an eloquent acceptance speech, being accustomed to speaking in front of large groups, as a former Arkansas Small Businessman of the Year. Woody showed his true heart when he wore the costume of a clown. A smile on the face of a child or a homeless person was all the reward he was after. Or even better, their laughter.
During the December 1993 Lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington DC Woody, in clown regatta, surprised then President Clinton and entertained by serving roasted almonds and cashews to the crowd alongside many famous television and movie personalities.
He later returned to the White House for a visit, again in his clown outfit, and a Secret Service agent quickly retrieved him from the line of visitors waiting to enter and escorted him down to the front door. He was greeted by the Clintons with, "Woody, what are you going to do next?"
There was a next. In 2003, the Clinton Presidential Cookbook was released in order to raise money for the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock. Woody and Bette being the official caterers of the "Blue Jean Bash" Inaugural Party in 1993 had two recipes selected for the cookbook. Although Woody's Buttermilk flavored Fried Catfish recipe was chosen for the cookbook, it was his other selected recipe, BBQ Dry Rub for Ribs, which received mentions in the Press Release for the Cookbook: "Woody's Ribs with his famous dry rub were the ‘talk of the town' (in Washington DC) for weeks to come."
United States Presidents (Woody personally met and/or catered for six), heads of state of foreign governments, Governors, inventors, CEOs, and other dignitaries were among those he catered for during events like the International Congress of Air Technology, the 100th Anniversary of the Cotton Belt Railroad Line, Fortune 500 company events and the return of Desert Storm troops. Woody's Catering became the official caterer for Bill Clinton's campaign trail to the White House, Bill's last Birthday Party in 1992 before being elected President of the United States, and the "Absolutely Unofficial Blue Jeans Bash" that took place in Washington the first night of the Inauguration festivities and repeated in 1994 and during former President Clintons second Inaugural festivities in 1997.
In 1994, after serving great food and much laughter, Woody sold Woody's Sherwood Forest to the City of Sherwood and somewhat retired. Twice a year for over 20 years after retiring, Woody and Bette, hosted a party for 100 or more friends in the backyard of their lake home in Hot Springs. There was always a theme, from Mexican Fiestas to Country Carnivals. If not on the lake, they could be found having a glass of wine with old (and young) friends in their penthouse overlooking Little Rock. Woody continued to prepare ribs, once flying to California to deliver them to an old friend celebrating his 92nd birthday. He also continued to fly occasionally with the National Guard of Arkansas to various military installations to feed the armed forces and annually cooked for the Arkansas hospitality suites at American Legion National Conventions held in varied states through 2013. Most importantly, he continued to donate time to help feed the homeless on holidays.
Family, friends, customers, former chefs and many previous workers returned to Sherwood Forest to celebrate Woody's 80th birthday in 2004 and his 90th birthday and in 2014. In 2013, Woody published his story, "It's Your Laughter I'm After" as told to authors, LeMarle "Marty" Doneth Schuller and Amber Bright White. With his book going to print, Woody was asked that same question, 10 years after being first asked in 2003, "Woody, what are you going to do next?" Woody shrugged his shoulders, stating; "Whatever comes my way I will look for both the humanity and the humor in the situation." After all, he said with a twinkle in his eyes "It's your laughter I'm after."
He is survived by his best friend, partner, right hand woman and wife, Bette Bright; children from his first marriage to Lyn Burdell: Robert "Bobby" Woods, Gail Kinnard (Randy) and Judy Johns (David); step-daughter, Amber Bright White (Johnny); grandson, Jason Johns; step-grandsons, Jacobs "Jake" Clemons and Charles "Rett" Clemons; sister, Betty Jo "BJ" Harvey; brother, Bob "Applewhite Minyard" Wood; as well as several nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.
Woody was preceded in death by his mother, Lola; stepfather, Al; father, Thomas; son, Gary and siblings, Tommy, Dorothy, Bill and AJ.
A special thank you to Maggie Donahoo, Tootie Ross, along with the VA Palliative Care Unit at McClellan Hospital, Arkansas State Veterans Home facilities and staffs for their loving care and support.
A celebration of Woody's life will be held on Monday, December 17 at 10:00 a.m., preceded by visitation beginning at 9:00, at Little Rock Funeral Home. 8801 Knoedl Ct. (NW corner I-630 and Barrow Rd.), Little Rock, AR, 72205. Woody will be laid to rest following the celebration of his life at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery in North Little Rock. Memorial donations may be made to The Salvation Army, 1111 West Markam, Little Rock, AR 72201.
Arrangements by Little Rock Funeral Home, (501)224-2200. Woody's online guestbook may be signed at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com.
8801 Knoedl Ct
Little Rock, AR, 72205
8801 Knoedl Ct
Little Rock, AR, 72205
Woody was born on September 8, 1924 in Picron, Arkansas, a small town just east of present day Little Rock and often identified as the Fourche Dam area.
Skill, imagination and competitiveness were qualities Woody had throughout his life. Woody was full of money-making strategies as a youngster. He participated in yo-yo contests, performed with his older siblings on the radio station KGHI singing and playing tunes on a fiddle loaned to him by the Salvation Army, set up carnivals, sold ice cream and shined shoes at Camp Robinson.
In 1943, Woody was inducted into the United States Army and later attached to the Fourth Marine Division, Fourth Signal Company, serving in Pearl Harbor and Iwo Jima during WWII as a Radio Operator. Woody, like many who served in WWII saw the chaos, destruction and mayhem of the war as he experienced it. A glossy memory of WWII was the popularity of pinups and Woody amassed a huge number of these autographed, often with a little personal message to him. These were priceless gifts sent to him when he was thousands of miles away, not knowing if he would ever return home as he crawled through the mud carrying a rifle on some distant battlefield. These thirty-two treasures are now on loan to the General Douglas McArthur Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas.
After his discharge from the service, Woody attended Air Conditioning and Refrigeration School and began his career with Arkansas Refrigeration as a supervisor overseeing the mechanical section of the company. He soon moved to General Air Conditioning where his main duty was to sell as many contracts for new service as possible and then to be on call 24 hours a day to service these contracts. After his time with a third air conditioning company, Woody took the great opportunity to establish himself in a new career, one that would change his whole life.
"Woody's Barbeque" opened for business in 1955 and became a regular morning school stop for NLR High School star running back Jerry Jones, who today is CEO and owner of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys. Jerry and the young clientele would come in droves to see Woody dip a scoop of ice cream, throw it behind his back, catch the scoop on an ice cream cone and hand it to the buyer. It was not long until Woody was flipping a second scoop on top to the crowds cheer, "Throw it, throw it, throw it."
It was not long before "catering" and Woody" became almost synonymous in Little Rock following his first catering job for thirty teachers at Levy Elementary School. He also had a lucrative side business as well, making and selling hot tamales in many major grocery stores and restaurants in the area. His knack for preparing and serving food and his attention to detail and quality paid off in customer satisfaction, but it was his advertising schemes that showed his true creativity.
He once had a flier printed that looked like a political campaign poster that featured his smiling face and proclaimed, "Re-elect Jess "Woody" Woods as your caterer." He also listed four "political" promises: To Serve All; Use Highest Quality Foods; Give the Most Efficient Service; and Promise Always to Serve Hot Food. People loved his humor and people loved Woody.
In 1957, Woody bid on, had his proposal accepted and opened up an amusement park in Burns Park to include rides, a kiddy zoo and refreshments for both children and adults.
The encouragement Woody had received as a boy from the Salvation Army was a reminder and Woody never hesitated to give back part of what he had earned through his own hard work and determination to those in need. He joined the Masons in 1946 and became involved with their charitable activities, especially their circuses. He progressed through the ranks and became a Shriner in 1953. In 1959 he organized a clown unit in the Shrine. It was a dream come true for Woody, as he was always a clown underneath his business man's exterior. He had honed his comedic skills at the restaurant, catering business and amusement park and now he could finally shine as an entertainer, and for a worthy cause, entertaining shut-ins, children, elderly and the sick or restricted.
Woody learned to apply greasepaint and fashioned a clown costume of his own design based on his favorite clown, Red Skelton. He had always enjoyed entertaining people, from the beginnings of his days playing music with his siblings and standing on corners singing with the Salvation Army, and now he could not only bring that dream to reality, but also exercise his sense of humor in his catering work often dressing up as "Woody the Clown", marching out with his Hurdy Gurdy, a hand cranked organ, joking and singing. Clowning gave him a great sense of satisfaction and joy and Woody would frequently perform for hospitals, orphanages and schools. He would hand out small party favors including play money with his picture on it, balloon headdresses, and candy. In 1974, being blessed with his successful business, Woody began handing out real two dollar bills as a way of giving back to the community who had given him so much good fortune. John 3:16 was and is still today, 44 years later, written next to his autograph, Woody. He signed his last two dollar bill in the summer of this year.
Woody was one of the Shriners' most active clowns. He once visited the late Arkansas Governor Oral Faubus and persuaded him to proclaim Clown Week, starting August 1, 1957. To this day it remains an annual event celebrated the first week of August by the state of Arkansas.
In March of 1963 Woody sold the amusement park, bought a larger facility to process his tamales at a rate of nearly four thousand per day and bought all of the equipment used for catering from Hanks Dog House, then the largest in Arkansas, and incorporated it into his own equipment. This made Woody's Catering Service the only business in the state devoted exclusively to catering. By 1967 Woody pursued the idea of installing a kitchen in the new Convention Center in Hot Springs, AR. A Public Notice was posted, he was the only one to submit a bid and he signed an agreement to an exclusive lease. He also purchased forty acres of land in Sherwood, Arkansas, was granted a Small Business Administration loan in 1976 and opened Woody's Sherwood Forest, his dream multi-purpose facility, in 1977. The clown who was able to entertain children and adults and bring laughter to their hearts would now have his own place to exercise these talents and it was then he adopted the slogan "It's Your Laughter I'm After".
Woody was always a bundle of energy and after he joined the Shriners, he was President of the Central States Clown Association in 1963 and served as the Potentate of the Scimitar Shrine Temple in 1975. He was named to the Legion of Honor of the DeMolay, was a member of American Legion Post Number One, and a 36-year choir member of the Levy United Methodist Church. He also assisted with the United Fund, later to become the United Way, the Boy Scouts, was a charter member of the North Little Rock Jaycees, and organized the Razorback Booster Club of North Little Rock. Woody was given the distinguished "Wild Hog" membership in 1958, an honor normally reserved for elite bankers, who contributed to the University of Arkansas athletic program. In 1999 the Masonic Lodge of Oak Grove named Woody "Citizen of the Year" and that same year he received an honorary "Paul Harris Fellow" from the Sherwood Rotary Club. In 2002 Woody received the Channel Four "Community Service Award", a statewide competition that recognized one individual each year who had "gone beyond volunteering" to help those in need. This award was chosen by the Office of the Governor, the Arkansas Department of Human Services and Channel Four TV (KARK). With explicit recognition of his feeding the homeless at the Union Rescue Mission on Thanksgiving and Christmas for numerous years, Woody wore his full clown costume to accept the award. He gave an eloquent acceptance speech, being accustomed to speaking in front of large groups, as a former Arkansas Small Businessman of the Year. Woody showed his true heart when he wore the costume of a clown. A smile on the face of a child or a homeless person was all the reward he was after. Or even better, their laughter.
During the December 1993 Lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington DC Woody, in clown regatta, surprised then President Clinton and entertained by serving roasted almonds and cashews to the crowd alongside many famous television and movie personalities.
He later returned to the White House for a visit, again in his clown outfit, and a Secret Service agent quickly retrieved him from the line of visitors waiting to enter and escorted him down to the front door. He was greeted by the Clintons with, "Woody, what are you going to do next?"
There was a next. In 2003, the Clinton Presidential Cookbook was released in order to raise money for the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock. Woody and Bette being the official caterers of the "Blue Jean Bash" Inaugural Party in 1993 had two recipes selected for the cookbook. Although Woody's Buttermilk flavored Fried Catfish recipe was chosen for the cookbook, it was his other selected recipe, BBQ Dry Rub for Ribs, which received mentions in the Press Release for the Cookbook: "Woody's Ribs with his famous dry rub were the ‘talk of the town' (in Washington DC) for weeks to come."
United States Presidents (Woody personally met and/or catered for six), heads of state of foreign governments, Governors, inventors, CEOs, and other dignitaries were among those he catered for during events like the International Congress of Air Technology, the 100th Anniversary of the Cotton Belt Railroad Line, Fortune 500 company events and the return of Desert Storm troops. Woody's Catering became the official caterer for Bill Clinton's campaign trail to the White House, Bill's last Birthday Party in 1992 before being elected President of the United States, and the "Absolutely Unofficial Blue Jeans Bash" that took place in Washington the first night of the Inauguration festivities and repeated in 1994 and during former President Clintons second Inaugural festivities in 1997.
In 1994, after serving great food and much laughter, Woody sold Woody's Sherwood Forest to the City of Sherwood and somewhat retired. Twice a year for over 20 years after retiring, Woody and Bette, hosted a party for 100 or more friends in the backyard of their lake home in Hot Springs. There was always a theme, from Mexican Fiestas to Country Carnivals. If not on the lake, they could be found having a glass of wine with old (and young) friends in their penthouse overlooking Little Rock. Woody continued to prepare ribs, once flying to California to deliver them to an old friend celebrating his 92nd birthday. He also continued to fly occasionally with the National Guard of Arkansas to various military installations to feed the armed forces and annually cooked for the Arkansas hospitality suites at American Legion National Conventions held in varied states through 2013. Most importantly, he continued to donate time to help feed the homeless on holidays.
Family, friends, customers, former chefs and many previous workers returned to Sherwood Forest to celebrate Woody's 80th birthday in 2004 and his 90th birthday and in 2014. In 2013, Woody published his story, "It's Your Laughter I'm After" as told to authors, LeMarle "Marty" Doneth Schuller and Amber Bright White. With his book going to print, Woody was asked that same question, 10 years after being first asked in 2003, "Woody, what are you going to do next?" Woody shrugged his shoulders, stating; "Whatever comes my way I will look for both the humanity and the humor in the situation." After all, he said with a twinkle in his eyes "It's your laughter I'm after."
He is survived by his best friend, partner, right hand woman and wife, Bette Bright; children from his first marriage to Lyn Burdell: Robert "Bobby" Woods, Gail Kinnard (Randy) and Judy Johns (David); step-daughter, Amber Bright White (Johnny); grandson, Jason Johns; step-grandsons, Jacobs "Jake" Clemons and Charles "Rett" Clemons; sister, Betty Jo "BJ" Harvey; brother, Bob "Applewhite Minyard" Wood; as well as several nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.
Woody was preceded in death by his mother, Lola; stepfather, Al; father, Thomas; son, Gary and siblings, Tommy, Dorothy, Bill and AJ.
A special thank you to Maggie Donahoo, Tootie Ross, along with the VA Palliative Care Unit at McClellan Hospital, Arkansas State Veterans Home facilities and staffs for their loving care and support.
A celebration of Woody's life will be held on Monday, December 17 at 10:00 a.m., preceded by visitation beginning at 9:00, at Little Rock Funeral Home. 8801 Knoedl Ct. (NW corner I-630 and Barrow Rd.), Little Rock, AR, 72205. Woody will be laid to rest following the celebration of his life at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery in North Little Rock. Memorial donations may be made to The Salvation Army, 1111 West Markam, Little Rock, AR 72201.
Arrangements by Little Rock Funeral Home, (501)224-2200. Woody's online guestbook may be signed at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com.
Visitation
DEC 17. 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM (CST)
Little Rock Funeral Home8801 Knoedl Ct
Little Rock, AR, 72205
Service
DEC 17. 10:00 AM (CST)
Little Rock Funeral Home8801 Knoedl Ct
Little Rock, AR, 72205
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