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Celebrating the life of Dorothy Leach Wood.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 2, 2026
WHEREAS, Dorothy Leach Wood, a pioneering business leader and a pillar of the community in Virginia Beach, died on April 13, 2025; and
WHEREAS, Dorothy Wood grew up in Alexandria and attended Madison College, now James Madison University; in 1978, she established a successful commercial construction company, breaking down barriers for women entrepreneurs in what is typically a male-dominated industry; and
WHEREAS, Dorothy Wood supported other small business owners and promoted responsible economic growth as a member of the Central Business District Association of Virginia Beach, the Virginia Board for Contractors, the Virginia Beach Planning Commission, the Virginia Beach Development Authority, the Southeastern Virginia Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, and the Commercial Real Estate Women Network; and
WHEREAS, outside of her career, Dorothy Wood supported the community as a member of the Coalition for Hearing Education and Research, Goodwill, the Civic Leadership Institute, the Virginia Beach Rescue Squad Foundation, the Virginia Beach Forum, and the Rotary Club of Virginia Beach; and
WHEREAS, Dorothy Wood also played an important role in the founding of Virginia Beach Meals on Wheels and co-chaired the fundraising committee for the Sadler Center for the Performing Arts; and
WHEREAS, among many accolades for her personal and professional achievements, Dorothy Wood was named as a First Citizen of Virginia Beach, was inducted into the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame, and received awards from the Salvation Army, the Virginia Beach Bar Association, the Girl Scouts of the USA, and the YWCA; and
WHEREAS, predeceased by her loving husband of more than 63 years, James Anderson Wood, Dorothy Wood will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by her sons, James Leach Wood and William Christopher Wood, and their families, and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Delegates hereby note with great sadness the loss of Dorothy Leach Wood, a respected businesswoman and community leader in Virginia Beach; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Dorothy Leach Wood as an expression of the House of Delegates' respect for her memory.