Dale C. Critz, 91, passed away on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023.
Critz was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on September 21, 1932, to Horace Dale Critz and Georgia May Critz.
He attended Asheville School from 1949 to 1951 and graduated from Duke University in 1955 with a B.A. in Political Science. While at Duke he was in the contract officer training program and after graduating, he was commissioned an ensign in the U.S. Navy and served on destroyer escorts in the Atlantic until July 1957.
Critz met his wife, Lila, in 1953 while attending Duke University. The two were married in Tallahassee on March 9, 1957 and moved to Savannah. In August 1957, Critz joined his family’s automobile business, Critz Inc.
He had a successful 45-year business career amassing dealerships in Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Florida. He was honored by Time magazine as the Quality Automobile Dealer of the Year in 1998. In 2002, he retired, being succeeded by the third generation, Dale Critz Jr.
Critz became well-known in Savannah for his volunteering and community initiatives. He helped establish the endowment committee of the Telfair Academy in 1989 and served on it for many years. He served on endowment committees at the Georgia Historical Society, the Savannah Community Foundation, and the George Washington Foundation.
Additionally, he was a 25-year member of the United Way’s Tocqueville Society and served as chairman multiple times. Critz also served as a member of the Rotary Club of Savannah for 60 years.
In 2004, he was inducted into the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame. Dale was instrumental in creating an organizational plan for the Forsyth Farmers Market in 2010. He was past-president of the Historic Savannah Foundation and in 2017 was awarded the Davenport Trophy, their highest preservation achievement award.
Critz and Lila have two children, Dale Jr. and Cay, and four grandchildren.
The family established the Critz Family Fund at the Georgia Historical Society in 2019, ensuring that their commitment to history will continue in perpetuity.
Dale Critz was a devoted father and grandfather and made Savannah and the lowcountry a better place to live.
This article appears in Connect Savannah | September, 2023.