Carson’s Hometown Pays a Spirited Tribute

More than 1,000 people from Norfolk, where Johnny Carson grew up, gathered at a high school theater that bears his name for a last goodbye.

The Norfolk High School memorial was mostly high-spirited and included a monologue, a jazz ensemble playing the “Tonight Show� theme and stage props such as a desk and guest chairs. Those who knew Carson, who died Jan. 23 in Malibu at age 79, spoke about him.

Lois Voecks said Carson sat behind her in homeroom and performed magic for students during Friday convocations.

“We used to see him later in the hallway,� Voecks said, “and we would look back at him and say, ‘That’s the same guy? He seems just like us.’ �