ROANOKE, VA – To the world, he was James Lavender. To Roanoke, he was simply ‘Flav.’
Flav died in a drowning incident at Smith Mountain Lake Tuesday.
“He’s like a city legend. Everybody knew him,” Skye Armfield said.
Armfield met Flav nearly 25 years ago — and says his presence and purpose was undeniable.
“He was just wild and free. Among anything else, he was a good person. If you needed something, he was gonna get it done. He always found a way to get it done and to help the next person,” she said.
Lenai Clegg, another longtime friend, remembers how Flav was a hub of knowledge and love in the community.
“Find Flav. He knew what happened, when, where, what time,” Clegg said.
Clegg says Flav was known for his dance moves and his ability to turn challenges into positivity.
“He was just full of love... full of love,” she said.
For Armfield, Flav was ‘Uncle Flav’ to her daughter.
“As soon as Zoey was born, he’s Muslim and he prayed over her. He was the first person to ever do that. I want her to remember the kindness and the beautifulness of him,” Armfield said.
While his passing was heartbreaking for those who knew him, Clegg says he loved his time at the lake, which he had recently discovered.
“He was like, ‘Man, it was so fun up there.’ To know that’s where he spent his last days… I think he was happy," Clegg said.
But even with that peace, the loss still feels unreal for many.
“Flav was someone you thought would be here forever. I think this is gonna be something that lingers for a while,” Armfield said.