Jack L. Norman's Obituary
Jack Louis Norman passed away on March 27 at the age of 95. Survived by his wife Mary Ellen, daughters Marcia Cagan (Jeff) and Jennifer Schmidt (Tom), son Peter (Deborah); grandchildren Andrew Cagan (Robin), Brice Cagan (Iona), Emily Reuschel (Andrew) and Daniel Schmidt (Erin); and great-grandchildren Everett, Alyda and Arlie Reuschel and Quincy and Cameron Cagan. He is also survived by his brothers David (Darlene) and Philip Norman, nieces and nephews Darius, Antony and Jolie Krupnik, Judy Wilburn (Richard), Jeanie Wisman (Tom), Christie Brown (Michael), Carl Norman (Laura) and Paul Norman.
He was born in Millville/Cumberland, New Jersey, grew up in Michigan, attending Cranbrook Prep School in Bloomfield Michigan, and settled in Columbia after a year at Yale University and two years serving in the army civil engineering group in post-WWII Germany. He matriculated at Washington University in St. Louis and received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics.
Upon his return to the U.S., he worked at several Surveying and Engineering companies before becoming a partner at the Metron Surveying company. In 1967, he formed the Norman Surveying Company where for forty years he oversaw surveying projects in Monroe and Madison counties.
Politics, the environment and land use were his passions. As well as civic duty. He served as the Chairman and Secretary for the Columbia Planning Commission, Treasurer for the Monroe Country Planning Commission, Executive Commitee member for the St. Louis Metropolitan Planning Commission, member of the Governmental Relations Task Force for the St Louis East-West Gateway Coordinating Council, Secretary for the Monroe Country Republican Central Committee, President and Secretary of the Columbia Rotary Club, and Director and Secretary of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce.
He was an avid believer in good stewardship of land and water serving as an active member of the Sierra Club, both locally and statewide for over 30 years. He was a member of the Illinois Chapter Executive Committee, the Chapter Audit and Budget Committees, Chairman of the Chapter By-Laws Committee, Chapter Vice-Chairman, and Chairman of the seven-county Group. He was also a Chapter delegate on the forum on conservation and agriculture.
On the lighter side, he had a dry sense of humor, a sparkle in his eye and was well known and liked in the community. In his later years, he could often be found in the morning sharing coffee with friends or doing the crossword puzzle at the Columbia McDonalds or Cafe at the Abbey. He had a warm bass voice and sang in several choruses over the years with Mary Ellen and his sister in law Janet, including the choir at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Columbia. At Cranbrook, he was part of the Glee Club and participated in musicals such as Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore.
Visitation for Jack at 10 am and the funeral service at 11 am will be held at St. Paul United Church of Christ in Columbia on Saturday, March 30th. Burial will be at the Evangelical St. Paul Cemetery following the service.
In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions be directed to: The Sierra Club Illinois Chapter, Kaskaskia Group, 70 E. Lake St., Chicago, IL 60601.
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