Joan Herrold Wood

Joan Herrold Wood, an award-winning ballroom dancer, active community participant and supporter of Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, died September 25, 2024. Joan was born in Lancaster, the daughter of Gordon W. and Lucille Nazor Herrold, both Ohio University graduates as were many of their ancestors. One, Christopher Herrold, and his son, Daniel, provided the lumber to build Curler Hall, the first building at Ohio University, the first university in the old Northwest Territory. After graduating from the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at the University, Joan worked as a feature writer for the Pittsburgh Press, a Scripps Howard newspaper. From 1959 to 1980 she worked at J. Walter Thompson, then the largest advertising agency in the world, and from 1980 to 1986, as vice president and member of the management committee at a smaller agency in New York. She was president of the Women’s Press Club of Pittsburgh, the Boston Terrier Club of New York and the East Sixties Property Owners Association, a New York City block association. In 1986, she retired to Sarasota where she served on the boards of the Women’s Resource Center, Girls, Inc., the Southwest Florida Chapter of the American Red Cross, Art Center Sarasota, Designing Women Boutique, Asolo Repertory Theatre and the Sarasota Opera Association, where she was chairman of the board from 2006-08. She was a member of The Field Club of Sarasota. One of her prime interests all her life was education and especially, Ohio University. In 1969 Joan received the Ohio University Alumni Association Certificate of Merit, in 1992 the L. J. Hortin Distinguished Alumni Award (named for her advisor and favorite professor) and in 1993 the University Alumni of the Year Award. In 2003 she was the first recipient of the Joan Herrold Wood College of Communication Lifetime Commitment Award which was announced and named for her as a surprise. In 2004 she received the Greek Hall of Fame Award for career accomplishments and service to the University and the John C. Baker Award, the Highest honor the University gives an Alumnus. She and her late husband, David, a partner in a major New York City firm specializing in admiralty law, established the Wood Chair in Business Journalism, the Wood Endowed Chair in Journalism Graduate Stipend and the Wood Manasseh Cutler Scholarship in Journalism, which is a full expense stipend modeled after Rhodes Scholarships and based solely on merit. The scholarships are designed to emphasize development of leadership potential and to reinforce an ethic of civic responsibility. For 20 years she served on the board of trustees of the Ohio University Foundation and more recently, on the Dean’s Advisory Council to the College of Communications. Joan’s favorite hobbies were ballroom dancing, dog shows, and recently, showing her Tonkinese cat, Purrtek’s Sweet Sherry, a double grand champion, with green eyes. Previous animal friends were five Boston Terrier champions. Dancing pro-am with her partner/teacher John Moldthan of The Ballroom of Sarasota, Joan won dozens of awards and recognitions. Among the most important: In 2001, at the United States Dancesport Championship she was named top-winning female student in the nation based on scores at U.S. regional championships. In 2002, she was named the top-winning student in the United States, based on scores at another 67 major dancesport competitions. In 2004, she won the Senior Pro/Am American Smooth Three-Dance Championship at the Ohio Star Ball, the largest pro-am ballroom dance competition in the world. In 2005 and 2006, she won six U.S. championship titles in her age group. About her ballroom dancing, she was profiled in Mel Helitzer’s books, “It’s Never Too Late to Plant a Tree” and “Don’t Let the Bastards Get you Down.” Joan is survived by her sister, Joyce N. Herrold M. D., of Lancaster, Ohio, her sister-in-law Joan (John) Petaccio of Marlton, N.J. and nieces and nephews, Deborah A. Farrington of New York City, Diane (Gary) Macia of Hampton, N.J., Beth Statman (Eric) of Pound Ridge, N.Y., David (Marianne) Petaccio of Brigantine, N.J., Susan (Jim) Doyle of Medford, N.J., Amy (Remo) Leomporra of Medford Lakes, N.J. and John D. Petaccio of Marlton, N.J.

Graveside service will be held Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at Maple Grove Cemetery, Lancaster, Ohio at 11:00 a.m. with Rev. Nathan Loudon officiating. Local arrangements are being handled by the FRANK E. SMITH FUNERAL HOME, LANCASTER, OH 43130. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a favorite charity.