NORFOLK, Va. — Hampton Roads is mourning the loss of longtime Norfolk City Councilman Paul Riddick, who passed away at the age of 78.
Riddick represented Ward 4 at the Norfolk City Council for 30 years, serving from 1992 to 2022. Councilman John "JP" Paige succeeded Riddick in the Ward 4 seat.
Paige posted a memorial for Riddick, honoring his decades of service, on social media on Wednesday.
Paige wrote, in part: "To me, Mr. Riddick was more than a colleague or a public servant. He was a father figure. Not just to me, but to so many in Norfolk who were fatherless. He stepped in, he showed up, he inspired, and he gave people hope. He had a way of reaching you personally and helping you see a path forward, even when you could not see it for yourself."
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott commented on Riddick's passing on Wednesday, calling the longtime councilman “a giant" in a statement sent to News 3:
“Hampton Roads lost a giant with the passing of Paul Riddick. For 30 years, he represented Ward 4 on the Norfolk City Council, and he never stopped fighting for working families. Paul was part of a generation of leaders who kicked down doors so people like me could walk through them. I don’t get to be Speaker without men like Paul Riddick.
Paul said what he meant, stood alone when he had to, and you never had to guess where he stood or who he was fighting for. Because of his work, everyone got a seat at the table, and Norfolk’s government began to look more like the people it serves."
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