Robert Wood III

Robert Cornelius Wood III (Robin) passed away peacefully on September 12, 2026 after a brief illness.

Robin was born on July 4th, 1940 and grew up in the Fort Hill neighborhood of Lynchburg. He was a proud 1958 graduate of E.C. Glass High School where he was voted “most friendly” in his class. A two-sport athlete in baseball and football, he served as Captain of the Hilltopper football team under legendary coach, Vince Bradford. He attended Washington & Lee University where he played football and baseball for 4 years. From 1960-1962, the Generals football team, under Coach Lee McLaughlin, went 25-1-1 and received the Timmie Trophy in 1961 recognizing the outstanding small college football team in America.

Upon graduation, he entered the University of Virginia Law School, earning his law degree in 1965. During his third year, he had the privilege to clerk for renown professor and legal scholar, T. Munford (“Munny”) Boyd, whom he revered and considered a mentor. After graduating, he and his wife, Mina, moved to Richmond where he worked for Mays Valentine for two years before moving back to Lynchburg in 1967 to join the firm of Edmunds & Williams (Woods Rogers today).

He practiced law there for the next 58 years before retiring in 2025. His distinguished legal career included being President of the Lynchburg Bar Association, a Member of the Board of Governors of the Virginia Bar Association as well as the Chair of the Litigation section of the Virginia State Bar. He received the Tradition of Excellence award from the Virginia State Bar in 2015. He also was also an early contributor in the development and formation of the Boyd- Graves Conference (named for “Munny” Boyd and Edward Graves), which was a collaboration of legal minds from across the state committed to improving and refining the quality of civil justice in Virginia.

In 1980, he replaced his mentor and law partner Edward Graves as an adjunct law professor at Washington and Lee where he taught Virginia Law and Procedure for 40 years. Upon his retirement, The Dean of the Law school remarked that “his impact on generations of lawyers in Virginia is unrivaled and unsurpassed.” He received the Order of the Coif award in 2013 recognizing his commitment to excellence in legal education.

Football remained a major part of his adult life. He was a Little League Football coach for the Paul Munro Raiders for many years and had a positive impact on the lives of so many young people. His 40-page playbook for 8-year-olds made it clear to both players and parents that fun came with a commitment to good preparation and an understanding of the fundamentals of the game.

He began officiating high school football in the 1960’s, eventually moving up to the college ranks, beginning in the Old Dominic Athletic Conference. In 1975 he became a head referee in the Atlantic Coast Conference and went on to officiate over 200 college football games over 26 years. His officiating career highlights included his crew being selected for the inaugural Kickoff Classic in 1983 as well as for numerous post-season Bowl games. He loved officiating but it was the camaraderie and relationships with his fellow officials that he cherished the most, especially his friendships with local officials Bill Jamerson, Bill Booker and Watts Key.

Robin was a devoted servant to his community. He was President of the Lynchburg Fine Arts Center, President of the YMCA of Central Virginia, Chairman of the Lynchburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority. He served on the Board of Trustees of Sweet Briar College as well as the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce and the United Way. He was a recipient of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC) Humanitarian Award in 2018. He was also a pro bono volunteer and donor for over 20 years to the Virginia Legal Aid Society.

He, along with a small group of determined citizens, were early supporters to restore the Lynchburg Academy of Fine Arts (now the Academy Center of the Arts) with a shared vision of the cultural impact its restoration could have on the city. His leadership of the YMCA’s capital campaign in 1986 was perhaps his greatest community contribution as he and a group of community leaders led the organization out of financial peril with a successful campaign that created the foundation for the modern and vibrant YMCA that exists today.

When he found time to relax and unwind, the two places he enjoyed the most were sitting on his porch along the banks of the Cowpasture river or in a rocking chair on the deck of the Gibbes cottage overlooking the ocean in Pawley’s Island, South Carolina. These were the places where he was most at peace and at ease.

Robin is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Mina Walker Wood. They were each other’s greatest supporters and built a life together full of joy and enduring happiness. He is also survived by three sons, Robert Sackett Wood (Alex), Gorham Barney Wood (Anne) and Bruce Marshall Wood (Mary Catherine) as well as 7 grandchildren- Sackett Jr., Hugh, Eli, Walker, Betsy, Holden, and James. He adored all of them and was affectionately known as “RC”. His epic pancake breakfasts on Saturday mornings became a tradition that brought brothers, cousins, and friends together. His law office eventually evolved into a shrine to his grandchildren with pictures everywhere, celebrating anything they did he felt was noteworthy.

He was preceded in death by two loving parents- Helen Pesci Wood and Robert Cornelius Wood Jr. His mother Helen was a well-known operatic soprano who traveled across the state and as far as Carnegie Hall to perform and share her love of music, especially in rural communities. In 1953, she convinced her 13 year-old son, Robin, to join her and play the part of Amahl in the Christmas opera, "Amahl and the Night Visitors". This was the first documented time a mother and son had ever performed the roles alongside one another, and it remained one of his fondest memories of his mother, who sadly passed when Robin was 24 years of age.

He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather and had a wide group of friends and associations that made his life full. He was a humble, unselfish, and kind person who always chose to see the best in people and situations. He was generous with his time, talent and resources and seemed to have the energy to take on everything and do it well.

There will be a memorial service at St. John’s Episcopal Church at 11AM on Thursday September 24th. In lieu of flowers, the family invites those who wish to honor his life to consider making a donation to the YMCA of Central Virginia’s Capital Campaign at:

YMCA of Central Virginia - Capital Campaign Fund

1309 Church Street

Lynchburg, VA 24504

Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg is assisting the family.