Genuine article: Keith Crisco's life could be described as fanfare for the uncommon man.

• Author: Kinney, Ben
• Position: UpFront

I wasn't close friends with Keith Crisco, 71, who died May 12 after falling at his home. But I had the pleasure of his company a few times when he was former Gov. Beverly Perdue's commerce secretary. Business North Carolina was fortunate enough to have him participate in one of our business round tables, and he was the featured speaker at two of our Small Business of the Year award lunches, where we sat at the same table and discussed business, the economy and his hometown.

I have lived in either Charlotte or Raleigh most of my adult life and often travel between the two via N.C. 64 and 49. "Since you're from Asheboro," I once asked him, "I suppose you know all about Sir Pizza?" His eyes lit up at the mention of the restaurant on 64.1 was amazed at how crowded it seemed every time I drove past. And how, I asked, had someone come up with pairing pizza and the Middle Ages? Keith laughed, then confided: If you really want a place where the fare is good and the company even better, try Dixie III, right across the street from Sir Pizza. "The food is great," he said, "and that's where business gets done. I take everybody there."

I wondered about the deals getting done in that Asheboro diner and, on my next trip from Charlotte to Raleigh, stopped there for lunch. The place was packed, with all sorts of folks pouring in and out. Blue-collar, white-collar, families--everyone seemed to know everybody else. I found out later that Pat McCrory stopped there for a bite to eat and to press the flesh while campaigning for governor in 2012. Smart man.

Since Keith's passing less than a week after his narrow loss to Clay Aiken in the 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary, there have been many accounts of his humble background. He grew up on a farm in the Stanly County...