Obituary – John Charles Norman

Published 1:03 pm Monday, January 6, 2025

John Charles Norman, 82, passed away peacefully on Jan. 2 at his home.

Funeral Services were held on Saturday, Jan. 4, beginning at 12 p.m. at Bethel Baptist Church with Brother Bruce Coker, Brother Mike Myrick and Musician Keith Hibbs officiating and Dunklin Funeral Home directing. The family received friends for visitation beginning at 11 a.m. until service time.

He was born on Sept. 23,1942 in Montgomery, AL to Ralph Reynard Norman, Sr. and Esther Dunn Norman. He was a proud resident of Fort Deposit and was a 1960 graduate of Lowndes County High School. He obtained his Accounting Degree from Howard College (Samford University). He married Genie Fain on Aug. 28, 1964, in Eufaula. He served 4 and a half years in the US Air Force in San Antonio, Texas starting as a Second Lieutenant and leaving as a Captain. His first daughter, Mary Esther was born while in Texas. He returned to Fort Deposit in 1968. His second daughter, Martha Anne was born two years later. While in Fort Deposit, John and his “little brother” Pete managed Fortex Manufacturing Company until it closed in 1980. During the late 1970s, he received his NBA from Auburn University at Montgomery.  

After closing Fortex, John and Pete became independent insurance agents and opened a small agency together in Greenville. In addition to taking great care of his customers for several decades, John was very involved in Bethel Baptist Church where he served as a deacon, choir director and youth Sunday School teacher. He had a great love of music that started as a member of the band in elementary school and continued through high school into college. He directed the Bethel Baptist Church Choir’s Living Christmas Tree in the late 1980’s. He also sang in a quartet with three of his brothers.  

In addition to loving music, John also enjoyed being involved in the Fort Deposit and Greenville communities by taking part in the Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club, the Alabama Homebuilders Association and by helping with the food booths at Calico Fort. John had the ability to make anyone smile and never met a stranger. He showed great love for his family, his church and lived his life for his Lord, Jesus. 

He is preceded in death by his mother and father, three brothers Ralph (Bunk) Norman Jr, Alex Norman and Dave Norman; one sister Siddie Mae (Sid) Norman; two sisters-in-law Daisy Golson Norman and Delnora Hartley Norman and a brother-in-law Bill Porter. 

He is survived by his devoted wife of 60 years, Genie; two daughters Mary Esther Norman Evans (Travis) of Auburn and Martha Anne (Martie) Norman Johnson (Keith) of Helena; one brother Pete Norman (Joy) of Birmingham; three sisters-in-law, Martha Anne Fain Porter of Columbus, Georgia , Iris Norman of Greenville and Shirley Norman of Clanton; five grandchildren Grant Johnson (Savannah) of Huntsville, Hayley Johnson Pierce (Carter) of Marietta, Georgia, Lauren Evans of Auburn, John Frank Evans of Auburn, Ashley Evans Jeffries (Cason) of Hoover; one great granddaughter Ellery Chase Jeffries of Hoover and numerous nieces and nephews.

John’s family would like to express their gratitude to Gloris Crenshaw, Mary White, Joann Smith, Brittany Mason, Amanda Cobb, Tom Braxton, Gracie Alexander, Louis Mathews, Maggie Cheatham, Becki Tindal, Dean Gibson, Tanishia Turk and Southern Care Hospice.    

For online condolences, please visit www.dunklinfh.com.