I met Norm about 40 years ago. He came to our place at Ashfield.for dinner. He sang for us, which was delightful. I have the cassette tape of that concert in my collection, somewhere!

I first met Norm in 1963. It was a Friday afternoon and we were travelling in a taxi as I was staying with a class mate at her family's small farm at Green Valley that weekend.. He attended St. Edumunds as a weekly boarder. I was a full time boarding student at St Lucys down the road at Wahroonga. He was one year and one day older than me and tall for his age. We had the same singing teacher so he had a good musical grounding to start. Norm was one of a several St. Edmunds boys who learned the guitar which became part of his hand luggage along with a varied folk based repetoire committed to memory. If Norm and his guitar were not available for a Bind Citizens Australia Sydney Branch fundraiser nights it just wasn't the same. Norm's musical range was quite varied and he is well known among record collectors. He had a monster vinyl and CD collection featuring pop and country from the 1950s & 1960s and a growing country and jazz collection.. Much of our conversation was around sharing the latest discoveries of contemporary artists or rediscovering 50s & 60s music long forgotten and shows we'd seen. He turned up at Vision Australia one day unannounced with a vinyl copy of a Lionel Long album that I never expected to see again. I still can't believe it! He was a member of the Doris Day Society. I remember a very pleasant evening after dinner sitting with Norm & Michelle watching a recently acquired very interesting in depth biographical documentary about Doris with glass of red in hand. I think the most frequently used description of Norm among his friends and colleagues is "a gentle man" and absolutely spot on, certainly on old soul. He had time for anybody and everybody. He came through some testing times with flying colours. His calm outlook is a valuable lesson for us lesser mortals.

I knew Norm for 37 years so there are too many memories to mention, just the essence of the man which will stay within my heart forever is that he was just one of nature's true gentlemen. He was one the sweetest, kindest men I have ever had the pleasure to know and I will miss him so much. Rest in Peace Norm