|
Winston Charles Padgett, 64, died Dec. 25, 2003 of ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. Winston had been a DPS Special Agent and had retired after 33 years of service and had also served as an investigator for the Hardin County D.A.'s office.
I first met Winston on a Rio Grande Lower Canyons trip in 1982. I was a new paddler and wanted to go awfully badly, so when Joe and Betsy Butler put together the trip, I jumped at the chance and I'm glad I did. I don't remember everyone that was on the trip, but it was Winston's first trip also and he was unforgettable. A large man, 6' 6", with long bushy hair and a beard, at the time serving with the DPS as an undercover investigator. What an interesting guy and interested in everything. He was one of those people that one feels comfortable with immediately.
An incident on that trip happened when we stopped above a rapid to scout it and also to look at one of the candelaria "factories". Somehow, Winston's boat came untied and ran the rapid unattended. We always said the empty boat ran the rapid better than Winston and his partner could have. He had taken his camera out of the ammo box and had left the open box, including his watch, wallet, keys and other valuables on top of the spray skirt and they stayed there through the entire rapid.
He had this glass eye that he said he won in a poker game, right out of a fellow’s eye socket. He'd mounted it and wore it on a big gold chain and said that when he got in a tight spot, he always turned it around to his back to watch behind him. He got into tight spots as a DPS investigator. There are many more stories.
Over the years he had redone the Lower Canyons trip many times and had also rafted the Grand Canyon in the Colorado River many times. He was a major force in the Big Thicket Voyagers and was responsible for the planning of the Labor Day Sabine River trip that so many HCC members have paddled.
Quite a guy and he is missed.
|