Wawa Founding Family Member Dick Wood Jr. Passes

Wawa, PA – It is with profound sadness that Wawa announces the passing of Richard D. (Dick) Wood Jr., former president, CEO and chairman of Wawa, Inc., who died on Friday, July 10.

For more than 55 years, Dick Wood was the visionary and driving force behind Wawa’s business model, as well as a pillar of the servant leadership, values and culture that define the company today. His impact will forever be felt by generations of Wawa associates, family members, customers, business partners and community organizations. He will always be remembered as one of the company’s most beloved leaders.

Dick was born on March 4, 1938, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and received his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He was married to Jeanette (Jean) Wood, and together they had two children, Lisa and Richard. Jean, who passed away in 2025, was a cherished member of the extended Wawa family and, for decades, was a warm and familiar presence alongside Dick at company, cultural and industry events.

Dick joined Wawa in 1970 as the company’s first general counsel at the encouragement of Grahame Wood, his father’s cousin and founder of the first Wawa Food Market. Over the next five decades, he served as president, CEO and chairman, leading Wawa’s transformation into one of the nation’s most recognized convenience retailers.

Under Dick’s leadership, Wawa grew from a regional chain into a household name, employing more than 36,000 associates across 900 stores in six states. He championed many of the innovations that shaped the company’s success, including operating stores 24 hours a day, entering the fuel business, expanding into new markets and creating shared ownership opportunities for associates.

Perhaps Dick’s greatest legacy was the culture he built. A true servant leader, he believed his role was to “create an environment where each of us believes that we can make a difference.” He regularly visited stores to stay connected to associates and customers and encouraged an ownership mindset that continues to foster the family-like relationships Wawa associates share with customers today. Wawa is now the 21st-largest privately held company in the United States, according to the 2025 Forbes rankings.

“Dick Wood was our true Lead Goose who was the guiding heart and soul of the company,” said Chris Gheysens, Wawa’s chairman and CEO. “He is the reason why Wawa is the company we are today and why we enjoy so much share of heart from our customers and dedication from our associates. Dick had a profound approach to innovation and business that was truly centered on people, and it’s a philosophy we will all work to carry forward. I am eternally grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside and learn lessons from Dick. He will forever live on at Wawa in all our hearts.”

Dick proudly continued a family legacy that began when his great-grandfather, George Wood, founded the Wawa Dairy in 1902. His cousin Grahame Wood later opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 and brought Dick into the business.

Dick became president in 1977, CEO in 1980 and chairman and CEO in 1982. He served in those roles until his retirement in 2004, remaining chairman of the board afterward. In 2020, on the occasion of his 50th anniversary with Wawa, he was named chairman emeritus.

Throughout his tenure, Dick championed Wawa’s private and shared ownership model. He led the creation of the company’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in 1992, which today gives associates ownership of 38% of the company and has positively impacted tens of thousands of associates and their families. In 2008, he also established Wawa’s Internal Care Team to support associates during important life events with compassion and expertise.

Dick’s commitment to service extended well beyond Wawa. He expanded his family’s tradition of philanthropy through support for numerous charitable organizations, most notably The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). His leadership helped establish the Richard D. Wood Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment, the Richard D. Wood Jr. and Jeanette A. Wood Endowed Chair in Pediatric Diagnostic Medicine, and Wawa Volunteer Services, including the Wawa Coffee & Care Cart, which provides comfort to patients and families throughout the hospital.

Dick was often seen personally pushing the Coffee & Care Cart through CHOP’s hallways, serving coffee, refreshments and encouragement to patients and their loved ones. In 2019, he was honored at the CHOP Carousel Ball for his extraordinary generosity, humility and unwavering commitment to the hospital.

He also passionately supported Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida, advocating for ways to make its beauty accessible to everyone. Throughout his career, Dick inspired Wawa associates to support thousands of nonprofit organizations, helping improve millions of lives. Today, Wawa and The Wawa Foundation have contributed more than $200 million to nonprofit organizations since their inception.

“Dick Wood was unlike any other CEO I’ve ever encountered,” said Howard Stoeckel, former vice chairperson and former president and CEO of Wawa. “He had a special mix of heart, compassion, empathy and humility that made him a true believer and practitioner of servant leadership. With Dick, people always came first, never him. At Wawa, we have a set of core values that we live by, and Dick is the one who brought them to life and instilled them into our culture. The lessons he taught all of us at Wawa to fly together to reach new heights are alive and well and will be for many years to come.”

Dick was also a respected leader throughout the convenience store industry. He served as chairman of the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) in 1985 and held leadership positions on numerous business and nonprofit boards, including The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Bok Tower Gardens, Riddle Memorial Hospital, Philadelphia National Bank, NACS, QuikTrip, Sheetz and Pardee Resources Company.

Honoring a Life and Legacy of Servant Leadership

In 2021, Wawa established the Dick Wood College Scholarship in recognition of Dick’s 50 years of service and his belief that every associate should have the opportunity to grow through education. Throughout his career, he championed tuition reimbursement and college degree programs, benefits that remain part of Wawa’s associate offerings today.

To honor Dick’s legacy, Wawa will expand the scholarship fund to provide even more educational opportunities for associates. The company will also support annual free community days at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida, allowing more visitors to experience the gardens he loved.

Those wishing to honor Dick’s legacy are encouraged to make donations to:

• The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in support of the Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment.
• Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida.

Visit wawa.com/tribute to learn more about Dick Wood’s remarkable life and legacy.

On Monday, July 20, Wawa will offer free coffee in every Wawa store as a tribute to Dick Wood, inviting customers, associates and communities across its chain to raise a cup in celebration of his extraordinary life and lasting legacy.