Justin Woodward, a chef who trained in New York and Europe before moving to Portland, where he ran the city’s premier fine-dining restaurant for nearly a decade, has died, friends and family said. He was 43.

The cause of death was liver failure.

“My brother struggled with alcohol issues in the industry,” said Rachel Ruiz, 45, Woodward’s older sister. “We don’t want people to speculate about his cause of death. We want people to know how serious alcohol can be and to get resources. Even if you don’t feel like you’re sick, it’s doing damage to your body.”

Woodward remained a loving family member until the end, thoughtful enough to send Ruiz’s daughter flowers on her 16th birthday and teach her to drive when he was back home in Southern California.

“He wasn’t the most cuddly type of guy,

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