EXETER, N.H. (AP) – Friends and family gathered Friday to remember Stratham lawyer Stephen Woods, who disappeared overboard while sailing from Rockland, Maine, to Rye earlier this month.

Speaking at a service at St. Michael Parish, Colin Woods described his father’s sense of humor as that of a 14-year-old, making it easy for him to relate to his children’s friends as teenagers.

He called his father unrelentingly honest and said his father’s biggest regret was not serving his country in Vietnam.

But he said, most importantly, he would remember his father as a teacher.

“My father will live because we will teach what he has taught,” he said.

Stephen, who was married with five grown children, practiced law for more than 28 years in the Exeter area. He served as Stratham town moderator and as a member of the Board of Selectmen.

John Dewald met Woods in law school and shared memories from when Woods’ first wife died and he “pulled himself together to finish law school.”

It was his second wife, Debbie, who made him a whole person again, Dewald said.

He said Woods enjoyed a good argument and was always up for a challenge.

“Everyone has a Steve story, and that, my friends, is what is going to keep Steve alive,” Dewald said.

Meanwhile the Coast Guard continues to investigate what happened on Woods’ sailboat. Woods and his son Asher, 20, sailed out of Maine on Oct. 15. Asher Woods said they ran into rough water off the coast of Boothbay Harbor and his father fell overboard. Asher Woods said he was unable to rescue his father who was not wearing a life vest.

Asher Woods was found five days later adrift off the Cape Cod coast and was rescued by the Coast Guard.

“We have completed the investigation on the boat, but the marine casualty investigation is still ongoing,” Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Scott Carr said on Friday. “We expect a report to be issued soon, but investigators are still looking into some issues.”

Carr would not provide any details, but said a marine casualty investigation is not required for accidents involving a recreational boat. Investigations into deaths on commercial vessels are mandatory, he said.

Carr said the Coast Guard decided to investigate because safety issues could be involved.

“We look for information that could be used to prevent this kind of thing from happening again,” the information officer said.

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