Toy Dixon Savage III

Toy Dixon Savage III of Norfolk died peacefully on Sunday, December 1 at the age of 71 after a battle with advanced liver disease. He was the son of Toy Dixon Savage Jr. and Hunter Hankins Savage of Norfolk, and stepson of Eleanor Rosalie Funkhouser Savage of Richmond.
Toy's lifelong commitment to education started as a student himself; he was a proud alumnus of the Norfolk Academy ('71), Princeton University ('75), and the University of Virginia ('80), where he earned a JD. At Princeton, he was the social chair of Tiger Inn, an era of memorable good fun.
Toy's teaching career began in his "gap years" between Princeton and UVA as a teacher at the Gilman School in Baltimore. After law school, he joined the firm Miles & Stockbridge in Baltimore, where he practiced law for four years before moving home to Norfolk to join his father at Willcox & Savage. Yet, the teaching spark that began at Gilman emerged again and found its true home at Norfolk Academy, where Toy went on to build his life's work as an educator, administrator, and coach. From 1986 until 2023, Toy served NA as a Middle School Ancient History Teacher, Upper School History and Political Science Teacher, Head of the Upper School, softball and golf coach, Honor Council Advisor, home football game announcer, School Historian, and author of the school's history "Norfolk's Academy: The Heart of Tidewater" and The Savage Chronicles, a monthly blog. Through his decades of service at NA, Toy not only built meaningful relationships with his fellow teachers and administrators but also touched the lives of literally thousands of students, including multiple generations of many families. It became a reliable truth that anywhere he went in Hampton Roads, he would run into a starstruck former student. To be a teacher was his deepest calling, and its impact his greatest pride.
Toy's appreciation of history was inclusive: he was a life-long student of Tidewater and its heritage, maps and geography, wine, historic golf courses, music and baseball. He was a self-taught pianist who knew just the right song to play for any group at any moment. The baseball passion came to fruition in grand fashion with a tour of all 30 MLB stadiums (plus a few that have since been retired) that he completed with his wife over the span of twelve years.
Toy is survived by his beloved wife of 49 years, Gail Linsly Savage, his sister Tracy G. Savage, his adored children Caroline (Chris), Ann, and Virginia (Fritz), and his 5 glorious grandchildren – Savannah (10), Thomas (7), Connor (6), William (5), and Hayden (3) – all his joy and constant source of entertainment.
His family extends their deep gratitude to the ICU staffs at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and VCU Medical Center. Their dedicated care and compassion in the last weeks of Toy's life was a huge source of support for him and his loved ones.
A private service (immediate family) will be held at Forest Lawn Cemetery followed by a memorial gathering of celebration in the Samuel L. Johnson Theater at Norfolk Academy, 1585 Wesleyan Drive, at 4pm on Saturday, December 14. Given Toy's love of teaching, contributions in his honor may be made to Norfolk Academy or to an educational institution of your choice.