Travaris Woodie, 35

Sitting next to his father as a grieving family made arrangements, Travaris Woodie got his first glimpse of what the family business — funeral home services — demanded.

“The first time he had me in there while he sat down with a family, as he’s talking, the family is picking out what they want,” Woodie recalls. “By the time they were done talking, I had totaled everything about the funeral bill, and I was spot on. He was like, ‘How’d you learn that?’ And I said just by watching.”

Photo by Mark Wemple

Travaris grandfather, Richard Woodie Sr., opened Westside Funeral Home in 1974. The business passed to his uncle, Richard Woodie Jr., and his father, George, who became partners. When his uncle died, his father took full ownership.

“My brother [George Jr.] and I will be carrying on the legacy here as the fourth generation,” Woodie says. “My dad is kind of semi-retired, so we are in day-to-day operations.”

Travaris’ father, now nearing 60, still offers advice that guides him every day.

“My dad always told tales. It’s the little things,” Woodie says. “It’s crossing your T’s and dotting your I’s, and making sure you work your folders. Just make sure that you do everything you tell yourself you’re going to do.”

The work can be heavy, but Woodie finds balance as the head basketball coach at Southeast High School in Manatee County. 

“That is my therapy,” he says. “Every day, I deal with death, no matter the age — old or young. Coaching basketball gives me a chance to pour into the teenagers and try to guide them in the right direction and just be relatable to them.”

The experience also shapes the advice he gives. “Here today, gone tomorrow,” Woodie says. “We have to take advantage of each opportunity, take nothing for granted and always make good decisions.”

If he had to sum up his father’s guidance in three values, Woodie says: “Empathy. Selflessness. And most importantly, professionalism.” He remembers watching how his father carried himself in the business. “We watched the way he interacts with people,” Woodie says. “He always held us accountable.”