Northern Virginia Patch Editor Skip Wood Dies

ALEXANDRIA, VA — William "Skip" Wood, of Alexandria, Virginia, died on Sunday, Oct. 6, after a battle with cancer. He was 57. A longtime journalist and Virginia resident, he covered parts of Northern Virginia for Patch over three years, and was well-known nationally for his reporting at USA Today.

Skip is survived by his wife, Bonnie, and their sons, Campbell and Branson. Skip and Bonnie celebrated their 21st anniversary on Sept. 19.

Born Sept. 3, 1962, in Harrisonburg, Virginia, Skip was the son of the late Sherry and Bill Wood and the brother of the late John Wood. He grew up in Manassas and Virginia Beach, graduating from Kempsville High School in Virginia Beach. He received a bachelor's degree in communications studies and studied print journalism at Virginia Tech.

After finishing college, Skip became a sports reporter for the Daily News Record in Harrisonburg, Virginia and continued sports reporting for the Richmond Times-Dispatch for nine years. He was an award-winning sports reporter for USA Today over 13 years, covering 12 Super Bowls, the NBA Finals, NCAA Final Four for men's and women's basketball, NASCAR's Daytona 500 and the Olympics. Skip also covered the death of Dale Earnhardt, the Virginia Tech shooting, 9/11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina. He later wrote for the ABC-affiliated television station WJLA.

At Patch, Skip covered Fredericksburg, Manassas, Woodbridge, Ashburn, Leesburg and Fairfax City. He contributed to coverage of Virginia state elections, the Virginia Beach shooting, hurricanes and other key stories.

Skip's colleagues witnessed his unique writer's voice and deep understanding of Virginia.

"Skip provided valuable mentoring to me as I was just getting my feet wet covering the local area," said Northern Virginia Patch editor Emily Leayman. "Even while he was fighting cancer, he took time to look at my writing, and he even offered to take photos for one of my stories. That's the kind of team player he was."

Fellow Virginia editor Dan Taylor added, "I always had tremendous respect for Skip, it was clear he had a journalist's eye and knew how to connect with readers. He was a great person to work with and made all of us better, and I really enjoyed having him as a colleague. I know I will miss his presence."

Skip is remembered as an avid Grateful Dead fan and a family man who made handmade cards for birthdays and anniversaries. His two sons, Campbell and Branson, were his "biggest pride and joy," and he enjoyed family vacations in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

"Skip was never afraid of speaking truth to power," remembered Patch Editor-in-Chief Dennis Robaugh. "I enjoyed listening to tales of the characters he encountered covering the NFL and NASCAR."

Family and friends are invited to a gathering on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Jefferson Funeral Chapel, 5755 Castlewellan Drive, Alexandria, VA. A small service will be held on a later date at Massanetta Springs in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to a GoFundMe page set up for his wife Bonnie and their two sons. Contributions will support funeral expenses and the boys' college funds. Contributions can also be sent to Massanetta Springs Camp and Conference Center, 712 Massanetta Springs Road, Harrisonburg, Virginia, 22801.

GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.