Neil E. Whitworth, formerly of Norfolk, died December 2, 2021.  He was 87.

Neil was born on September 6, 1934 in El Cerrito (Contra Costa County), CA to Ozie H. Whitworth and Cherie M.( Heydenfeldt) Whitworth.  He spent his early childhood growing up in San Francisco with his siblings Theodore and Sandra.  Upon the remarriage of his father, he moved to Poughkeepsie, Arkansas.  There, he spent much of the spring, summer and fall working on the family farm, chasing the harvest as a picker, and playing practical jokes on his step-sister Barbara.  He attended Poughkeepsie High School where he was a spectacular bench warmer on the basketball team and just a good enough student to get his high school diploma.

He enlisted in the Air Force in 1953 and retired as a Tech Sargent in 1976.  In the years between, he got married, adopted and/or fathered four children, and was stationed in Colorado, Virginia, New Mexico, Vietnam, and Germany.  After retirement, he worked briefly at Jefferson Labs before taking a civil service position at the Naval Air Rework Facility, Norfolk, and then Norfolk Naval Base and Shipyard.  In his early civil service days, he attempted to get a bachelor's degree from Christopher Newport College, but calculus and other advanced math classes kept kicking his butt until he finally waved the white flag of surrender.

Neil moved to Norfolk in late 1985 and met his future bride, Doloras Hadley Whitworth there. They purchased a house in the East Ocean View community where they both were active in advocating for improvements. Neil became an active member of the EOV civic league where he put his love for the community to good use by writing numerous letters to, and constantly calling members of the Norfolk City Council.  He also would walk around his neighborhood, morning, day, and night, acquainting himself with everyone who lived or visited there. He particularly enjoyed engaging the people who hung out at the corner of his street.  He remained a volunteer in the civic league – and an employee of the civil service - until his retirement in 2013.

Neil's greatest joys in life centered on his family.  He loved taking his grandson Dylan Franklin to the lake to skip stones and to the park to play baseball.  He and his wife enjoyed stuffing everyone full of delicious meals served with love and laughter.  They loved going to listed to the big band music played live every Sunday in the summers at Ocean View Beach Park.  More than anything else though, Neil loved doting on his wife.

Neil died on December 2, 2021 after a long, arduous battle with dementia and a short, virulent fight with Covid.  He was preceded in death by his parents Cherie, Ozie, and Ina; his brother Theodore and sisters Sandra and Barbara; his stepson Lance; and his beloved wife Doloras; grandson Danté.  He is survived by his son Daniel and his wife Kimberly; his daughter Maria and her partner John; his son Robert; his son Ronald and his wife Bernadine; his stepson Terry and his wife Debra; 7 grandchildren; numerous great grandchildren; and his most faithful and talkative cat, Rascal.

A memorial service will be held for Neil Whitworth at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, December 20, 2021 at R. Hayden Smith Funeral Home (245 S. Armistead Ave., Hampton, VA).  The service will be followed at noon by interment at Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery (5310 Milners Road Suffolk, VA 23434). In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be made in Neil's memory to The American Brain Foundation ( https://give.americanbrainfoundation.org/give/379568/#!/donation/checkout