Court Reporting Legend. Dedicated Mentor. Loyal Friend.
In light of the recent passing of Woody Waga, Veritext would like to take a moment to celebrate his life and honor his contribution to the court reporting industry. Woody was incredibly instrumental in helping Veritext become the company that it is today. In 1998, Waga & Spinelli was one of the earliest acquisitions of Veritext. Founders Mike Sandler and Nancy Josephs relied on Woody for his insight and connections throughout the court reporting industry to help navigate and select the best partners with whom to grow the business. Woody continued with Veritext as a Vice President until his retirement almost 20 years after joining the company. With that said, retirement didn’t curtail his love of our industry and all things Veritext; in fact he continuously used his kind-hearted nature and knack for networking to arrange business connections even as recent as three months ago.
Woody’s accomplishments in and around court reporting are very well noted. He was the recipient of the 2018 NCRA’s Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor awarded by the NCRA. He authored the book, Gear Principle about techniques that help reporters enhance and build their capturing speed. And, he covered some of the largest and most challenging legal cases — even traveling to more than 40 states and numerous international locations.
Woody was known for the strong relationships he built with fellow Veritext employees, reporters and clients. Adoration and respect for Woody will always be present!
A Tribute from Jan Ballman, FAPR, RPR, CMRS, DSA-MN
I have so many great Woody Waga memories and stories!
Woody is perhaps the biggest reason I landed at Veritext, and for that, I owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude.
Woody was always larger than life! I remember meeting him for the first time right after his NCRA presidency, so about 32 years ago. It was hard not to admire how comfortable, persuasive and articulate Woody was in front of a microphone and an audience of any size as well as how easily he made friends. And it goes without saying that anyone who achieves the rank of President of NCRA deserves #respect for the years of selfless service to the industry that it takes to get there. Woody did all that and so much more for NCRA and the profession.
Besides our career in court reporting, Woody and I shared a love of good wine, which was so much fun! His nickname for me was “Plumpjack,” after one of our favorite Cali cabs of the same name. One time Woody sent me a little-known but super stellar red as a thank-you for reporting a particularly difficult case for him. My husband and I had a trip already planned to Napa, so I decided to seek out this particular winemaker and try to get a picture with him/her and surprise Woody with it, which did happen. In fact, this winemaker invited us to his home for a tasting because at that time he didn’t yet have his own vineyard, let alone a tasting room. Today, that winemaker is most famous for his third-label chardonnay that sells millions of bottles each year—“Butter”—and that person is John Anthony Truchard, who now has a beautiful and prominent tasting room in downtown Napa. I have Woody to thank for that discovery and connection… and for all the John Anthony wines in our cellar today.
In his retirement, Woody and I became pen pals of sorts. I loved reading his missives because Woody wrote as eloquently as he spoke. He was very expressive, thoughtful and kind in his written words that were always sprinkled with wisdom as well as gratitude for literally everything good in his life… even after his life was more than ‘sprinkled with’ physical adversity.
Woody’s soul was deep and wide. It was so evident how much he cared about his family, his friends, and his profession. In my 43 years in this business, I’ve learned that Woody Wagas are a rare breed, and the court reporting industry is all the better, richer and more colorful because Woody chose it for his own.
Woody, thanks for the memories and for all your many contributions to the world, both small and very large. You will be missed, my friend. Godspeed.
A Tribute from Bill Roberts, RPR, RMR, CRR, CLVS, CMRS
Mere words will never adequately express the emotional depth, business acumen and the complexities of my dear friend, Woody Waga. Woody was born April 11, 1942 and grew up on the streets of Brooklyn, NY in the Brighton Beach neighborhood. Woody always viewed his upbringing as a “Brighton Boy” a special designation, and it was in that tight-knit community that he developed his street smarts, gift of storytelling, not to mention his pool game.
I met Woody in the early 1980s at an NSRA convention in San Fransisco. Having similar backgrounds growing up in New York, we became fast friends. Acquaintances and casual friendships exist, but being Woody’s friend was something special. I had just quit my job as an official reporter and opened a small freelance firm. Woody was a partner in a large, successful freelance firm, Waga & Spinelli. He systematically introduced me to everyone – NSRA past presidents, major firm owners across the country, speed champions – and my firm was off and running thanks to Woody. Woody, always the overachiever, went on to be president of NCRA in 1991 and received NCRA’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, in 2018. He was a pioneer in bringing real-time captioning to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, even inspiring me to provide CART services in the evening to a deaf college student.
In 1998, Waga & Spinelli was one of the earliest acquisitions by Veritext. Woody was instrumental in providing a road map of top court reporting firms across the country as possible acquisitions to Mike Sandler and Nancy Josephs. Their combined vision culminated into Veritext as we know it today, the largest and most technologically advanced court reporting company in the world.
Being Woody’s friend was so much more than business. Woody organized yearly the Waga & Renzi fishing trip to Lake Esnagi, Canada. The group was comprised of an elite group of firm owners and friends of Woody and Guy Renzi. I felt privileged and honored to be invited. I knew the trip would consist of tremendous fishing and a business component; but as with so many things Woody devised and dedicated himself to, the gathering embodied so much more than fishing and business. You see, all the men brought their young sons to enjoy some of the most amazing lake fishing in the world and to meet peers from different parts of the country while being mentored by the elders of the group. Young men like Nick Rennillo, my son Dave Roberts, Mark Renzi, Todd Mobley, Michael Benowitz, Michael Starkman and Mitch Goldstein, to name a few, developed deep, long- lasting relationships thanks to Woody.
Then there was the 105 % club, a group of individuals that Woody selected yearly to send a personalized letter who gave “105 %” to worthy causes or charities and community service. One individual was recognized for their achievements yearly, and Woody would encourage us all to “raise a glass” to that person at year’s end.
I could go on and on about Woody’s accomplishments, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention his true love, his family. Woody was married to his childhood sweetheart, Marilyn, for 61 years. His daughters, Lauren and Meredith, and his grandchildren, Danny, Amanda, Rafaella and Eva, were the apples of his eye. Woody self-trained Lauren to become a CART reporter. Meredith and Marilyn own and operate a very successful floral business, Belle Fleur. Woody treated his sons-in-law, Bob and Tony, like the sons he never had. Woody was loved deeply by his family, and he has left behind a wonderful legacy.
Even when Woody was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2008, he never slowed down in his civic support of many charities and organizations, including the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
To know Woody was to love him, but to be his friend was uniquely exceptional. Join me in raising a glass to celebrate the life of the original 105 percenter, my dear friend, Woody Waga. He will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.
