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Justin Woodward, respected chef in the Portland restaurant scene for more than a decade, died Oct. 2 in San Diego, Calif. He was 43. The cause was liver failure due to alcoholism, according to his family.
Woodward was the chef at Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard fine dining restaurant Castagna starting in 2011, and then at sister restaurant OK Omens until 2024. He was as a James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Northwest five consecutive times from 2015-2019. According to 2017 WW coverage of Castagna, “chef Justin Woodward offers surprises, risks and that rarest of qualities in this city: elegance.”
Woodward was born in Boston, Mass., and raised in Southern California. He studied culinary arts at the Art Institute of San Diego and worked at restaurants around the world, such as in New York, Denmark and Spain. He is survived by his parents, Charisse Mondiadis, Jonathan Woodward and stepmother Naimeh Woodward; siblings Rachel Ruiz, Anthony Ruiz, Melody Woodward and Mahsa Olamai; and his beloved cat, Felix.
His sister, Melody Woodward, calls her brother’s death “unfortunate and sudden.”
“Like most of us in this life, Justin had joys and struggles; but unique to him was a sensitive soul and infinite empathy,” she says. “He always was making sure other people were cared for, often without words, preparing meals and feeding the people he loved. In his final days, his close family surrounded him, returning the favor, caring for him, feeding him and loving him.”
In addition, the Woodward family would like to encourage anyone struggling with addiction to reach out for resources, and recommends https://smartrecovery.org.
“There is often shame associated with these struggles, and we hope this transparency will help inspire others to get help when needed,” Melody Woodward says.
