Hon. Leonard Victor Wood

WOOD, HON. LEONARD
VICTOR, 76, died of natural causes on March 24 in Orlando. Leonard was born on March 3, 1937 in Chicago, IL and lived there throughout his childhood. Leonard moved to Florida in 1955 to attend Rollins College where he was student body president and a member of the X-Club fraternity. After graduating from Rollins, Leonard moved to Durham, N.C. to attend Duke University Law School on academic scholarship. During law school, Leonard met and married Barbara Parker. They relocated back to Central Florida and had three children together: Benton, Brent and Anastasia Wood. Leonard practiced law in the 1960s in Orlando with Giles, Hedrick and Robinson and the Law Firm of Heskin Whitaker. Leonard was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1968 and served one term before running for U.S. Congress. Leonard won the Republican nomination for Congress but suffered a narrow defeat in the general election. Leonard resumed practicing law in Winter Park in the 1970s with Mairs, Wood, Muller, Burroughs and Fisher. During this phase of his legal career, Leonard represented Pappy Kennedy and succeeded in proving fraud in the counting of absentee ballots in Kennedy's attempt to be elected to the Orlando City Commission. This successful litigation enabled Kennedy to become the first African-American to be seated to public office in Orange County. Leonard's efforts in this regard resulted in him receiving an honorary degree from Bethune Cookman. During the 1970s,
Leonard also volunteered countless hours coaching youth sports in Seminole County, and he was President of Boys Baseball of Seminole County from 1973-1975. Leonard went into private practice in Altamonte Springs in the late 1970s. During this time, Leonard founded Florlando Kennel and successfully raced greyhounds throughout Florida. One of
Leonard's legendary greyhounds, Runaround Sue, retired as one of the greatest marathon champions in greyhound racing history. In 1988, Leonard was elected Circuit Court Judge for the 18th Judicial Circuit. During his tenure, Judge Wood served in virtually every judicial assignment. Judge Wood took the most pride in his 8-year stint as the Juvenile Judge in Seminole County where he strived to positively impact the lives of the troubled youths of the area. Judge Wood retired in 2000 and lived alone during the next 12 years in his log cabin home on the St. John's River in Geneva before transitioning to the Bridge Assisted Facility for the last six months of his life. Leonard was a great father and mentor to his family throughout his life. Leonard is survived by his mother, Sue Wood of Cherry Valley, IL; sisters Dottie Dankert of West Dundee, IL, and Bunny Alexander of Cherry Valley, IL; son Benton Wood of Orlando; daughter Anna Wood of Orlando; daughters-in-law Dana Wood of Orlando and
Samantha Wood of Canton, N.C.; and grandchildren Colin, Brianne and Avie Wood of Canton, N.C., and Casey and Parker Wood of Orlando. Funeral Services will be held on Saturday March 30 at
Baldwin-Fairchild Funeral Homes, 994 East Altamonte Drive, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701. Public viewing will start at noon, and funeral services will start at 2 p.m.
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