RSSOBITUARIES
Marvin Keith Norman
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June 16, 1932 - June 28, 2009
Macy & Son Funeral Directors
MCMINNVILLE, OR - Marvin Keith Norman was born on June 16, 1932 in Yakima, WA to Frank and Madelyn (Nunes) Norman. He graduated from Moxee High School in 1950 then attended Central Washington College and Yakima Valley Community College prior to joining the United States Coast Guard. He served four years as a medic on the icebreaker Northwind, USCG Lifeboat Station in Neah Bay, WA and the US Public Health Hospital in Seattle, WA. Marv worked as Passenger Agent for United Airlines at Seattle-Tacoma Airport in 1956 where he met a United Airlines stewardess, Esther Young of McMinnville, OR. Marv and Esther were married on October 5, 1957 at the First Baptist Church in McMinnville. They honeymooned on the Oregon Coast and Oklahoma City, OK so that Marv could attend Air Traffic Control School. Just prior to the wedding he had secured a position with the Civil Aeronautics Authority (now Federal Aviation Administration) to train as an Air Traffic Controller at the Seattle Air Route Traffic Control Center.
Marv and Esther initially lived in Burien, WA and had two children before making their home in Enumclaw, WA in 1962. Marv became a supervisor for the FAA in 1970 and participated in three major events during his career; working the infamous D.B. Cooper hijacking in 1971, coordinating the Mt. Saint Helens rescue operation in 1980, and President Regan's firing of striking air traffic controllers in 1981. Marv retired in 1985 and enjoyed traveling via recreational vehicle and cruise ships. With his love of the water, Marv and Esther moved to Rhodesia Beach, overlooking Willapa Bay and the Long Beach Peninsula at Bay Center, WA, in 1998. Marv could be found walking the beach and roads each morning picking up recycling, with the proceeds going to fund scholarships, and he loved fishing for crab in Willapa Bay. The couple moved to McMinnville in 2005 to be nearer family and friends.
Giving back to each community in which he lived was extremely important to Marv, Public education was a passion as he was elected to serve on the Intermediate Service District 110 Board of Education 1971-1973, the Enumclaw School District Board of Education 1974-1982 and the Washington State Board of Education 1983-1995. Marv joined the Enumclaw Kiwanis Club in 1963, the South Bend, WA Kiwanis Club in 1999 and the McMinnville Kiwanis Club in 2005. Other service included the Enumclaw Chamber of Commerce, Enumclaw and South Bend's Civil Service Commissions, Bay Center Improvement Association, United States Selective Service System Adjudication Board, Kids Voting Washington, Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association's Basketball Tournaments and the Willamette Valley Medical Center. He was always there to help family, friends and neighbors in any situation.
Marv is survived by his wife Esther, son Craig and his wife Kris of Redmond, WA and grandsons Sean of Sammamish, WA and Jason of Redmond, WA. Marv was preceded in death by his parents, sister Carole and his beloved daughter Cheryl who passed away at age 39 in 1999.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, July 2 at the Macy and Son Chapel in McMinnville. Memorial may be made to the McMinnville Kiwanis Education Endowment Fund, c/o Macy and Son Funeral Directors, 135 NE Evans St., McMinnville, OR 97128. Marv championed the creation of this fund dedicated to helping students continue their education beyond high school. To leave online condolences, please visit www.macyandson.com.
