It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of Richard D. “Dick” Wood, Jr., longtime champion and supporter of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and former president and CEO of Wawa. We have lost not only a visionary leader, but a cherished friend and member of the CHOP family.

The Wood family has been a part of CHOP's story since our founding, and Dick continued this longstanding support through his personal philanthropy, leadership and volunteerism, as well as through his corporate involvement. Much like the Wood family, the Wawa Foundation has been a key part of CHOP's success, giving generously to the enterprise and having representation on CHOP's Board of Trustees. 

Dick's involvement with CHOP was personal. Inspired by the loss of his brother, who was born with a congenital heart condition that would likely be treatable today, Dick devoted himself to advancing care and discovery for future generations of children. He served as a member of the CHOP Board of Trustees from 1989 to 2005 and was named an emeritus trustee thereafter. His invaluable guidance and engagement advanced numerous CHOP projects and initiatives.

At the same time, his philanthropic impact at CHOP changed countless lives, and will continue to into the future. His support included:

• Creating the Richard D. Wood Pediatric Ambulatory Care Center, which served patients for more than 30 years and will be reimagined in its new home as part of Roberts Chlidren's Health at CHOP.
• Naming the Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment (Wood CFDT), which just celebrated its 30th anniversary. The Center offers highly specialized care for parents and babies from prenatal management through labor, delivery and postnatal care. It is the largest and highest-volume fetal program in the world, and the only one to provide seamless, comprehensive care in one location.
• Establishing and supporting several endowed chairs, including the Richard D. Wood, Jr. and Jeanette A Wood Endowed Chair in Pediatric Diagnostic Medicine, the Endowed Chair in International Adoption, and the Edmond F. Notebaert Endowed Chair in Pediatric Research. 

Dick’s commitment to giving back extended beyond the personal and into his professional life. In 1992, Wawa generously created Wawa Volunteer Services and the Wawa Coffee and Care Cart, which provides free coffee and beverages to families and others at the hospital. A people person who wasn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves and get involved, Dick often staffed the cart himself.

Dick’s support of CHOP continues even now: in recognition of the way in which he lived his life, his family has requested donations to the Wood CFDT to honor him. 

In 2019, CHOP Foundation honored Dick at the Carousel Ball for his unwavering commitment to CHOP, and for demonstrating tremendous generosity, humility and grace. You can learn more about his extraordinary life and legacy in his obituary. 

Our thoughts are with the entire Wood family, particularly Dick’s children, Lisa and Richard. We are extremely grateful for all he has done, and we will miss him.