NORFOLK, Va. — Hampton Roads bid farewell in 2021 to several notable local citizens.
They include public servants, athletes, and a legendary entertainment critic.
Former Delegate Flora Crittenden was a teacher in Newport News for over 30 years and also served on Newport News' city council. In 1995, Crittenden Middle School in Newport News was named in her honor. She was 97.
Linwood Holton served as Virginia Governor from 1970 to 1974. The anti-segregationist was the state's first Republican governor since Reconstruction. The father-in-law of current U.S. Senator Tim Kaine was 98.
Roger Brown was an NFL 6-time Pro Bowler and a member of the Detroit Lions' "Fearsome Foursome." The Surry native ran his Portsmouth restaurant until his death at 84.
Baltimore Colts' legend and friend Charlie Stukes said Brown was a man of the people.
"He didn't hesitate to go around and talk with people. He wasn't one of those people that because, 'I'm Roger Brown and I own this place I don't have time for you,'" he said. "But he made time to go around and chat with people."
Ron Johnson was the Norfolk Tides' all-time winningest manager. He died from complications from COVID-19 at age 64.
And, there was Mal Vincent, the larger-than-life film critic for The Virginian-Pilot, who shared his tales of Hollywood's Golden era for 17 years at his annual classic film festival at the Naro Theater. He died unexpectedly at age 83.
Vincent scored interviews with many of Hollywood's biggest stars, including Sir Laurence Olivier, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, and Doris Day.
Much to his regret, Vincent often lamented, the one star who eluded him throughout his career was Eva Gardner.
