Pat Norman's widower, Ralph, dies

Pat Norman covered Stark County for the Beacon Journal in the 1970s, as a part-timer and later as a full-timer, working through the State Desk. She was a prolific producer of Stark County articles. Pat died about three decades ago. Pat and Ralph had nine children.

The obituary for Pat's husband, Ralph, who remarried:

Ralph E. Norman, age 84, of North Canton, passed away Monday, January 3, 2011.

He was born in Jackson, Michigan, graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and received his Masters Degree in Business Administration from Kent State University. He was employed by McGraw Edison Power Systems Division, retiring in 1990.

Ralph served in the U.S. Army, was active in civic affairs in North Canton as Chairman of the North Canton Republican Committee, Chairman of the City of North Canton Planning Commission and Member of the Charter Commission for City of North Canton. He was co-founder of the 1976 North Canton Bicentennial Band and Past President of the Canton Regional Society of Professional Engineers.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Amanda and Albert Norman; first wife, Patricia (Brownson) Norman; brothers, Paul and Ernie; sister, Anne; stepson, Eric Hirt; and stepgrandson, Troy Schlegel. He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Katie (Crock) Hirt Norman; and his children, Ralph E. Norman, Jr. (Mary) of Mason, Ohio, Pamela (Dave) Shoup of Colorado Springs, Colo., Mary (Mike) Bralic of Aurora, Colo., Nancy (Larry) Bunte of Lakewood, Colo., William Norman of Anchorage, Alaska, Janet (William) Fashbaugh of North Canton, Linda (Mark) Johnson of San Jose, Calif., Amy (Mark) Ostwald of Elma, Wash., and Barbara (Dan) Wilby of New York City; 15 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren; and his stepchildren, Tammy Hirt of Herndon, Va., Sharie (Robert) Sartain of Houston, Texas, Valerie (Brian) Sutter of Winter Park, Fla., Vicki (Dwight) Crawford of Canton and Jennie (Jeffrey) Schlegel of Kettering, Ohio; 11 stepgrandchildren, and one stepgreat-grandchild.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Paul's Catholic Church of North Canton, 241 S. Main St., North Canton, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 8, 2011, with Msgr. James Clark officiating. Friends will be received 3 to 7 p.m. on Friday, January 7th at Karlo-Libby Funeral Home, 5000 Everhard Road N.W. Canton. Interment will be at St. Joseph Calvary Cemetery in Dover, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Alzheimer's Association , 1815 W. Market St. Ste 301, Akron, OH 44313 or Aultman Hospice, 2821 Woodlawn NW, Canton, OH 44708. Condolences may be made at www.karlofh.com.

(Karlo-Libby Funeral Home, 330-494-9644)
[Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, OH, Wednesday, January 5, 2011, page B5, col. 1]