Lewis Norman

Lewis Norman, 82, of Dyersburg, died Monday, December 25, 2017 at Tennova Healthcare Dyersburg Regional.  Born September 2, 1935, he was the son of the late Robert H. and Pauline S. Norman. 

Lewis was a member of First Baptist Church, where he was a former member of the Audit Committee, Sunday school worker and a Deacon.  He served his country and his community, first as an Army veteran, serving as Personnel Administrative Specialist, then the City of Dyersburg as alderman for 18 years.

During that time, he was Chairman of the Finance Committee and the Water, Sewer and Gas Committee, a committee member of City Hall and Public Safety.  He served on the Dyersburg City School Board for two terms and was Chairman of the Board for three years.  Governors’ Dunn, Blanton, Alexander, McWherter and Sundquist all appointed Norman to the Board of Trustees at Arlington Developmental Center in 1972. Lewis was also appointed board member in 1974 at Patterson Training Center until his death.

A 1954 graduate of Dyersburg High School, Lewis was one of the first members to be inducted into the DHS Hall of Honor in 2013.

He served as the first president of the Dyer County Association for the Retarded, former president of Forked Deer Group Home, Inc., former president, board member and volunteer of Habitat for Humanity in Northwest Tennessee. Also, Lewis was the former president of the Dyersburg Credit Union and former president of the Dyer County Fair Association (1974-1975). 

Lewis had 54 years of perfect attendance as a member of the Dyersburg Rotary Club, serving as president (1976-1977) and was named a Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary International in 1998.  He was a former Dyersburg Jaycees serving as Treasurer and the Board of Directors and was named Outstanding Young Man of the Year in 1964.

During his career with Rotary, Lewis was well known to have a secret BBQ sauce recipe, one he jokingly told people he kept buried in a mayonnaise jar in his backyard.

Lewis served on numerous boards and committees including the board of the American Red Cross, the board of the Dyersburg/Dyer County Adopt-A-School program.

He served as president of the Dyer County Heart Association in 1961, and was a member of the Board of Directors at the Dyersburg Vocational Training Center.  Lewis was Chief Bookkeeper and Assistant Administrator at Parkview Hospital from 1956-1983, where he was awarded the William G. Follmer Award in 1969 for Outstanding Service by the Hospital Financial Management Association. 

In 1983, he became the Benefits Manager at Dyersburg Fabrics, Inc. where he was Editor of the corporate newspaper “The Spinnit” from 1986-2000.  The Dyersburg Dyer County Chamber of Commerce also named him Man of the Year in 2011.

Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, December 28, 2017 in the Chapel of Curry Funeral Home conducted by Reverend Mike Hickman with interment to follow in Fairview Cemetery.

The Norman family will receive friends Wednesday, December 27th from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.                                   

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, Greg Norman; and two brothers, Robert J. Norman and William T. Norman.     

Keith Norman, Brad Norman, Burnie Norman, Brad Babbitt, Jeff Agee and Kim Peckenpaugh will serve as pallbearers.  Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Dyersburg Noon Rotary Club.

He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Carolyn; son Kevin (Debbie) of Dyersburg; daughter, Courtney Babbitt (Brad); grandchildren, Christopher Kyle Norman (Gina), Laura Elaine Norman Clements (Chris), Jacob Cole Tribble, Lindsey Paige Babbitt, Avery Kate Babbitt; great-grandchildren, Harper Elaine Norman and Hudson Kyle Norman.

The family requests memorials be donated to First Baptist Church, 220 Masonic Street, Dyersburg, TN 38024, McIver’s Grant Public Library, 410 W. Court St., Dyersburg, TN  38024 or St. Jude Children’s Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN  38101-9908.

Lewis lived his life by the Rotary Four Way Test: Is it the truth?  Is it fair to all concerned?  Will it build Good Will and Better Friendships?  Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?

 Funeral arrangements entrusted to Curry Funeral Home. You may share your condolences and your memories with the Norman family at www.curryfuneral.com.