Fandemic response.
I wish I’d known my good friend Danny when I was in high school, because he would have been the one to remind me not take those years too seriously. Although if I’d known Danny when I was in high school, he would have been, like, 3 years old.
Danny is a quick-witted writer, accomplished marathon runner, loving husband, and doting dog-dad with a big brain and an even bigger heart. In the same way an inventor or a comedian sees possibilities, Danny has an uncanny talent for using words to connect the world together in ways that are entirely new. This explains his love of puns and trivia and baseball stats and punch lines that land.
As a baseball agnostic, I typically view opening week of Major League Baseball as a non-event. This year, however, as COVID-19 stole the season from the world, all I could think about was that COVID-19 had stolen it from Danny. While I can’t give him back the 2020 season, I can give him this doodle: humankind’s ultimate cheering section.
P.S. Danny helped me with the title. By “help” I mean that he came up with it, and I wrote it down.
“If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is — infinite.”
William Blake
Danny Woodward
1978-2021
Danny’s story was Big: Big heart, Big brain, Big love.
Danny built an extraordinary relationship with his brain cancer. All of his relationships were extraordinary. to write this first draft of danny’s obituary, I leaned on danny’s relationships with Monica, Jim, Tracey, Mark, and his running buddies, who all contributed their pieces of the big story of Danny.
Danny was born in Cordele, Georgia on April 27, 1978, then moved with his family to Stephenville, Texas in 1981. While he always kidded around about his small-town upbringing, he grew up surrounded by love, faith and humor.
After he graduated from Stephenville High School in 1996, he left what the local tourism bureau calls both the “Cowboy Capital of the World” and “The Other Live Music Capital of the World” and headed to the big city, bringing with him his adaptable talent, innate wit, and unyielding optimism. By the age of 19, Danny was working as a sports writer for The Dallas Morning News, a job he held from 1997-2002.
Of the experience, Danny once said, “I was a sports writer who wrote about sports.”
During this time, he also worked as a staff writer for the Arlington Morning News, was a freelance writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and began his career as an undergrad and student-journalist at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA).
In December 2003, Danny graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication-Print Journalism from UTA. In the fall before his graduation, as the youngest-ever editor-in-chief for The Shorthorn student newspaper, Danny twice interviewed James (Jim) Spaniolo, a finalist for the position of University President. By June 2004, Danny was working for President Spaniolo, first as a part-time writer then full-time as Special Assistant to the President.
“Danny is one of the most honestly curious and humble people I’ve ever met,” said Jim.
In August 2005, Danny became the first-ever graduate from the Master of Arts in Communication program at UT Arlington. About a decade later, he would be recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus of the UTA Department of Communication. Among his many accomplishments during his time at UTA was his pivotal role in creating the Maverick Speakers Series, which continues today as a landmark program of the university.
Less visibly but no less important, Danny made himself readily available to late-night editing emergencies, opportunities to mentor student journalists, pun one-upsmanship, softball and pickup basketball games, all things Texas Rangers, dog park dates, trivia nights, and countless shenanigans. During this time, Danny also discovered his love of running.
He also met the love of his life, his soulmate and best friend, Monica.
Danny met Monica met in the summer of 1997 when they worked together on The Shorthorn, although it took him the entire fall semester to muster up the courage to ask her out. After that first double-date of Domino’s Pizza and Blockbuster movies, they were inseparable. They married June 3, 2000 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Always the doting husband, Danny made Monica’s days happier, sweeter and easier. He left love notes for her around the house and sent funny and sweet text messages to her throughout the day. He never turned down her requests for a back rub. Throughout her time as a drill team director in Texas, if Monica was there, Danny was there.
Danny and Monica loved to travel and spend time with their dear friends. They spent many miles laughing and playing road trip games along the East Coast and Vancouver, Canada. Danny’s love of history and beautiful scenery fueled his desire to travel abroad. Danny traveled with Monica to France, Spain, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Qatar, Mexico, the Caribbean, Belize, and Honduras as well as many cities in the U.S.
“In nearly 21 years of marriage and 24 years together, we experienced several lifetimes’ worth of adventures, joyous days, and an incredible love story for the ages,” said Monica.
In 2012, the Woodwards moved to Richmond, Virginia, for new adventures and Danny’s opportunity to write for Michael Rao, President of Virginia Commonwealth University. Ultimately, he was promoted to Executive Director of Executive Communications at VCU, earning opportunities to write speeches not only for President Rao but for corporate CEOs, a U.S. First Lady, the physician who saved Rep. Gabby Giffords, and many others.
Danny’s speeches have been delivered in China, India, Qatar, Italy, and Colombia; all over the U.S.; and before audiences ranging from students to congressional leaders to queens. A member of the Washington Speechwriters Roundtable and the Professional Speechwriters Association, his honors include two Cicero Awards, the “Oscars of speechwriting,” plus numerous Ragan/PR Daily, CASE and PRSA awards. Danny has been published several times in Vital Speeches of the Day and returned to his love of sports writing as a contributor to ESPN.com and Active.com.
Meanwhile, to say that Danny was a talented, devoted runner is like understating the value of oxygen. After moving to Richmond, running became a true calling for Danny. To the delight and amazement of his friends, he ran his first marathon in less than 2 hours and 55 minutes and qualified for the Boston Marathon – achievements that many dedicated runners spend years chasing without success.
Danny trained side-by-side with Monica, herself an accomplished tri-athlete. As always, Danny was Monica’s Number One cheerleader and supporter, rooting for her at all of her races. Through their mutual devotion at so many levels, the moniker #TeamDanica was born.
Danny’s success as a runner didn’t come without hard work. He spent countless pre-dawn mornings running mile after mile with his team, becoming faster runners and better friends. When race day arrived, he often beat those same friends at distances from 5K to the marathon. In races all along the East Coast and in Texas, Danny racked up first-place finishes in his age group and several top-10 overall finishes, often among thousands of runners. He continued to improve, running his fastest 10K in recent years. He won races and lost races like he lived, with dignity and kindness.
Throughout his running career, Danny was a generous training partner and teammate. He was known for his speed, his enthusiasm for affectionately greeting every dog he saw on a run, and his eagerness to avoid hills and the slightest amount of rain. In the months after he was diagnosed with brain cancer, he continued to run with the same passion and swiftness he had displayed for years. To these constants, he added obvious amounts of gratefulness and joy.
In fact, anyone who ever met Danny remembers him for his unbounded gratitude and joy.
"I came to realize that a life lived to help others is the only one that matters.
This is my highest and best use as a human."