Norm Brown was an adventurer in physique, thoughts and spirit – one who drank deeply from the cup of life and was at all times in movement and in formation. He understood nicely that at the moment’s current is extra valuable and authoritative than yesterday.
Norman was a veteran of the U.S. Navy Reserves from 1958 to 1962. He was well-regarded as a structural engineer and was the proprietor and operator of Brown Engineers Inc. in Springfield. Within the mid-Seventies, he proved his competitiveness on the racquetball court docket, successful a singles and doubles championship 5 years straight.
One among Norm’s biggest passions was classical music and jazz (he named one in every of his parakeets Mendelsson). One other was literature, and Walt Whitman was his idol. It was commonplace for him to drive to Chicago or St Louis simply to catch an artwork home movie.
One pal shared the next: “Such an exquisite man! Beneficiant and compassionate to all – to strangers in addition to his legions of pals and to all of humanity. Better of all was realizing that he raised three great sons, Gavin, Eric and Jim; and was deeply cherished by Emily and Julie. And reward the gods, he was free to get pleasure from his ardour for journey about our planet. He and I corresponded throughout the miles and many years with pen and ink, often on lined yellow authorized paper, as was typically performed within the earlier century and even on this beleaguered one. I shall at all times to the top of my days treasure pulling out his letters and rereading them.”
One other pal recalled that he was decided to make a distinction. Norm attended many metropolis council conferences and have become concerned with serving to teams together with the Springfield Immigrant Advocacy Community.
Norm donated his physique to science as a remaining selfless act to learn the higher good. When his Celebration of Life concluded, the folks sang out loudly “When the Saints Go Marching.” Norm might have been an unconventional saint, however he certainly lived as much as that description. In a letter dated Sept. 29, 2009, Norm wrote, “I discovered my epitaph.” It was (in fact) penned by his beloved Walt Whitman: “Praised be the fathomless universe, for all times and pleasure, and for objects and information curious.”
Rev. Martin Woulfe
