Sherwood “Woody” Knebel passed away on October 12, 2025, at age 69 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Woody lived an extraordinary life shaped by curiosity, kindness and a profound love for nature, family and community. Born in Sitka, Alaska to missionary parents, he grew up surrounded by native culture and stunning wilderness. He later moved with them to the jungles of Argentina and the prairies of Alberta. Upon settling in Victoria, British Columbia, he spent countless hours diving in the waters off Vancouver Island. Those childhood encounters with the natural world sparked an adventurous spirit that would eternally guide him.
In his early 20’s, Woody began his career in Alaska’s seafood industry. He began in Bristol Bay with Bumble Bee Seafoods and later in The Kodiak Archipelago with Ocean Beauty Seafoods, where he retired in 2020. As the Superintendent of the Alitak processing plant, he fostered a close-knit community, rooted in respect for people and place. Woody’s legacy will continue through the museum of artifacts he curated, currently in the process of relocating to the Kodiak Maritime Museum, as well as the stories he preserved, the images he captured and the lives he touched.
Woody was a gifted and self-taught photojournalist, anthropologist and author whose work documenting Alutiiq petroglyphs led him on extraordinary journeys, including surviving a near-fatal encounter with a Kodiak grizzly bear while researching and writing The Cape Alitak Petroglyphs: From the Old People (The Donning Company Publishers), a book that became a vital link to Alutiiq heritage.
Living with Parkinson’s disease for over 30 years, Woody met life with courage, humor and grace, never once complaining of the challenges he faced. As a resident of Minton House in recent years, he was deeply grateful for the friendship and support from all who knew him.
*When an eagle soars or a whale breaks the surface of the sea, that is Woody saying hello*
Woody is survived by Cydna, daughter Paget, son in law Joel, and baby grandson Hugh.
His sparkle, humor, and zest for life will be deeply missed.
Donations may be made in his honor to the Parkinson’s Wellness Project in Victoria, British Columbia or The Alaska Fishermen’s Fund in Juneau.
A Memorial Service for all who loved Woody will be held in the Sequoia Centre at McCall Gardens, 4665 Falaise Drive, Victoria, BC on Saturday, March 21st, 2026, at 2:00 pm.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
This obituary is the property of the “Knebel” family and may not be reproduced, distributed, or altered in any way without prior written consent.
11 Responses
To the Knebel family;
I am so sorry to hear of your loss.
You will not know me, But I am one of the people that woody affected profoundly
I met woody twice, once when we were quite young ,early to mid 1960’s , in a small town called barrhead alberta,
he was the coolest kid in town, he had a real Teepee and cooked “bear meat ” over an open fire, We became friends and I was very sorry he left town. Our young boy adventures involved the forests and dreaming of living like first nation kids.
some of those adventures would be appropriately be called misbehaving , but never in a mean way, he had a strong sense of ethics that he imparted on to me. I assumed we would never see each other again
Over a decade later while I was attending my first year of collage, far away from my home town; imagine my surprise to find out that a dorm mate of mine was none other than Woody. This amazing coincidence was taken by me as a sign . I knew we would again become fast friends
Again we had the adventures of young men, misbehaving ,but never in a mean way, His sense of ethics prevailed , Woody was profoundly ethical.
one particular memory involves us hitch hiking all over southern Alberta and BC, While standing on the road , I threw away a food wrapper , He explained to me that this was not ethical , and I forever changed my behavior . My respect for him was such that only a few words could affect me like that.
he will forever in my mind be the coolest popular kid filled with honour and adventure, like a modern day Tom Sawyer
Thanks for allowing me to share my memories, I am honored that he was my friend
Allan Radke