- Charles Brown (Brownie) Norman, lifelong resident of Watauga died March 1, 2019 following a lengthy battle with vascular dementia and congested heart failure. Mr. Norman achieved professional success as a journeyman brick mason working primarily for JI Cornett Construction from 1948-1967, as a general contractor in 1962-1967, a teacher of masonry at Science Hill High School in 1967-1969, and a building engineer for United Telephone from 1969-1989. Mr. Norman was an organizer of various clubs and volunteer organizations throughout his life including the Watauga Volunteer Fire Department, Watauga Valley Art League, and Watauga Valley Clock Collectors.
Mr. Norman was a member of First Christian Church of Johnson City at the time of his death; previously he had been a member of both Watauga Christian Church and East Unaka Church of Christ. He was member of the Watauga Masonic Lodge.
Born on July 22, 1930 at the home of his paternal grandparents, Wiley and Molly Dugger Norman, he was the son of Julius Casper and Pernia Vaught Norman. In 1938, Mr. Norman moved with his family into the Brownlow Hendricks household where his mother became the housekeeper and Brown worked the farm with “Grandpa Hendricks”. Mr. Norman later purchased the property and at the time of his death had lived there for over 80 years.
While working on Grandpa Hendricks’ farm, Brown often loaded up his wagon and crossed the river bridge into Watauga where he peddled his mother’s pies and farm produce at the Watauga Quarry and to local homes, general stores and restaurants.
Brown began working in the construction trades at 15 years of age and became skilled in masonry, carpentry, electrical and plumbing. He would use these skills to build and remodel several houses before he became a building supervisor for United Telephone and supervised building maintenance across five states. One of the projects he most enjoyed was designing the historic brick features into United Telephone’s building in Historic Downtown Jonesborough. With little opportunity for formal education, Brown was self-taught on many subjects calling books the opportunity to learn from someone else’s experience.
One hobby Brown explored during his teens was flying. He had an arrangement with a WWII Naval pilot veteran to sell flying lessons at the Johnson City Airport to cover his own plane time. Brown loved flying and would often share his story of running out of fuel just as the place touched down on the runway at the Tri-Cities airport. He also like to tell how his Naval pilot friend enjoyed running and winning a game of “closest landing” to a square marked on the runway each Sunday afternoon.
Other hobbies would include singing, painting, genealogy, history, and collecting various types of antiques: furniture, firearms, coins, and just about anything that was unique in some way. Brown once owned an Army surplus “Duck” (amphibious vehicle) and provided visiting family and friends with rides along the Watauga River.
Brown enjoyed his home, particularly when he had one of his children around to build a fire in one of his fireplaces. He would sit in a rocking chair reading the paper or singing in front of the fire during the winter. In the summer, he would often read the paper in a rocking chair on his back porch. Many a Saturday afternoon saw a family target practice session with small caliber pistols or rifles from that back porch or skeet shooting over the garden.
Mr. Norman was preceded in death by two infant brothers John Wesley Norman and Edward Fleenor Norman and two sisters Mrs. Carolyn Holden and Mrs. Lilian Lawson. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Marjorie Cretsinger Norman; two sons, Charles Norman Jr. (Johnson City) and John Norman (Elizabethton); one daughter, Taleen Norman (Johnson City); three grandchildren, Charles Norman III, Joshua Norman, and Monica Norman; eight great-grandchildren, Bronson Norman, Madeline Norman, Maximus Norman, Mason Norman, Titus Norman, Evelyn Norman, Tiberius Norman, and Jaxon Norman as well as several nephews, nieces, and cousins.
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1930 - 2019 (88 years)
