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2011 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 447
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Thomas H. Wood, Sr.
 
Agreed to by the Senate, February 17, 2011
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 22, 2011
 

WHEREAS, the Honorable Thomas H. Wood, Sr., the admired former chief judge of the 25th Judicial Circuit, died on January 14, 2011; and

WHEREAS, a native of Clifton Forge, Thomas “Tom” Wood was born on March 14, 1942, to Henry and Pinkie Wood and was the brother of Joseph Wood; and

WHEREAS, as a youth, Tom Wood aspired to be a trial attorney; his dream was nurtured when he read To Kill a Mockingbird and had the opportunity to sit in on a jury trial before Judge Earl L. Abbott; and

WHEREAS, after graduating from Clifton Forge High School, Tom Wood received a bachelor’s degree from Hampden-Sydney College and earned a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law; and

WHEREAS, Tom Wood then joined the firm of Nelson, McPherson, Summers & Wood, L.C., eventually becoming a partner while also serving part-time as a respected assistant public defender and subsequently serving as Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Staunton; and

WHEREAS, Tom Wood was appointed judge of the Staunton and Augusta County General District Court in 1980, serving with distinction for four years before becoming a judge for the Augusta County Circuit Court in 1984; and

WHEREAS, in 2003, Judge Wood became the chief judge of the 25th Judicial Circuit, where he used his vast experience and knowledge of the law in service to the residents of the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Judge Wood presided over the courtroom with great wisdom, common sense, humanity, and a strong commitment to equal justice for all until his retirement in 2007; and

WHEREAS, respected by his colleagues from across the Commonwealth, Judge Wood made numerous contributions to the judicial system and his community throughout his life; and

WHEREAS, Tom Wood will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife, Helen; children, Thomas, Andrea, and Sally, and their families, including his seven grandchildren; and his numerous other family members, friends, and admirers; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of an admired jurist and esteemed citizen of the Commonwealth, the Honorable Thomas H. Wood, Sr.; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of the Honorable Thomas H. Wood, Sr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.