a mentor and a moral force who radiated positive energy
McCandlish Holton mourns the loss of our friend and colleague, Linwood Holton, former governor of Virginia and civil rights champion. Law firm Chairman Tom McCandlish sent the following message to the firm, which is a fitting tribute to a true American hero:
“As you have probably seen, Linwood Holton passed away this morning. Governor Holton was 98 years old, and according to his daughter, Anne, he died peacefully in his sleep.
There will be lots of news stories in the coming days about his leadership and his courage in moving Virginia forward in his time as Governor. He was truly a historic figure and a great leader, and we were privileged to have him as a valued member of our firm for over a decade. I vividly remember almost thirty years ago when our young associate, Tim Kaine, walked into my office and said “I think my father-in-law might be interested in joining our firm”.
From the day he walked into our offices, Lin was a mentor and a moral force who radiated positive energy to everyone around him. Anne Holton recalls that his morning wake-up call to his children was: “time to get up- it’s opportunity time!” He brought that same spirit to the firm.
He also was very frank and always spoke his mind, especially if any director dared to show up late for a meeting. Once he arrived, few did.
He made every one of us just a little bit better. We miss him, but we celebrate his long and productive life well-lived.”
