Serendipitous encounters save Dewey restaurateur’s life

The pocket-sized Woody’s Dewey Beach Bar & Grill is Jimmy O’Conor’s pride and joy. And he has certainly paid his dues. At the tender age of 15, he started working at a Rustler Steak House. By 17, he was flippin’ steaks as the broiler chef.

After 10 years as a bartender and general manager of various Baltimore hot spots, Jimmy finally left food service altogether. For the next seven years, he worked in the mortgage business, owning his own title company in Frederick, Md.

It seemed like business as usual the day he was asked to handle the mortgage for a friend who was buying a house in Dewey Beach. On settlement day, the buyer, Lisa, introduced Jimmy to Anne Marie Delle Donne, her realtor. Sparks flew. It wasn’t long before he was commuting back and forth between Maryland and Delaware. He coos, “Anne Marie was the best commission I ever got!” Little did he know she would end up saving his life.

Jimmy thought he was finished with the food business, but it wasn’t finished with him. Through the former owners of her new house, Lisa let Jimmy in on a secret: Big Mike’s Frozen Tundra, a little joint tucked away on the east side of Coastal Highway in Dewey, was about to be offered for sale. Jimmy completed the purchase and moved here permanently in 2009. By the time the licensing and inspection hoop-jumping was done, Highway One LP had opened Jimmy’s Grille across the street, deep-sixing O’Conor’s plan to turn Big Mike’s into Jimmy O’s. And thus was born Woody’s.

But his winning streak was about to falter: In June 2011, Jimmy found himself in dire need of a kidney. This really wasn’t news, as he had battled kidney disease since he was 4 years old and had already undergone several transplants. In order to overcome donor incompatibility, a Kidney Exchange Program facilitated the donation of one of Anne Marie’s kidneys to a woman in Baltimore. In turn, the woman’s daughter donated one of hers to Jimmy. Now there’s an all-around win-win if there ever was one! And just as interesting is that in many of the cases, all the donor/recipient operations take place at the same time, and sometimes even in the same hospital.

After several previous transplants, it’s no wonder the affable restaurateur is bringing together Team Woody’s Dewey Beach to participate in the 15th annual Southern Delaware Kidney Walk taking place next Sunday, April 30. And as if that weren’t enough, Jimmy will hold a pre-event party Wednesday, April 26, at Woody’s Dewey Beach Bar & Grill, where 50% of every penny they earn will be donated to the National Kidney Foundation. At that percentage, restaurant people know Woody’s will be running at a loss that entire day, but Jimmy owes his life to organizations such as this, and he’s invested on many levels.

Jimmy will team up at 2 p.m. this Saturday, April 22, at 92.7FM, with National Kidney Foundation Associate Executive Director Nicole Scharf on my “Beach Eats” radio show. Nicole will share a wealth of details regarding the symptoms and treatment of kidney disease, along with the trials and tribulations of almost-daily dialysis. If you’re out of radio range, the show can be streamed live at WGMD.com. Given that we all possess kidneys, and can’t live without at least one, this broadcast is a must-listen. Jimmy will also fill us in on next Wednesday’s pre-walk party at Woody’s Dewey Beach Bar & Grill at 1904 Coastal Highway.

The walk will start at 10 a.m., April 30, and will begin and end at Fort Miles in Cape Henlopen State Park. Want to donate dollars or perhaps be a potential kidney donor for the exchange program? You can sign up to walk or donate at KidneyWalk.org/SouthernDelaware, or call 410-726-8732 for more info.