Norman LANGSTON

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LANGSTON: Norman Joseph Bell: It is with deep sadness the family announces the passing of Norm Langston on December 26th, 2009 at Fairview Home. Norm was born at Regina, Saskatchewan on February 12th, 1924. At age six, Norm and two younger brothers were orphaned.  Norm was raised in the Knowles Home for Boys in Winnipeg.  At age 16, he worked during the summer months at a farm in Carman, Manitoba. When school resumed in the fall he was invited to live with the Doyle family in Carman to continue his high school education. In 1941, when he was 17, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (He lied about his age to get in) and after his training he was deployed overseas where he joined the Royal Air Force (R.A.F.) serving in World War II as a Gunner in a Lancaster Bomber for three years.  On his return to Canada, he took a course in painting and decorating and went into business for himself.  The motto on his panel truck was "Let Us Spray".  His business was not doing as well as he wanted, so he took advantage of an opportunity to work for McGavin’s Bakeries delivering bread and baked goods around the Carman area.  Norm and Hilda (Sutton) were married in Roland, Manitoba in 1952 and resided in Carman. In February 1955, he was transferred to Brandon where he delivered bread door-to-door locally and later to rural Manitoba.  In 1967, after much contemplation, Norm accepted a sales job selling mainly tea and coffee for Melrose Foods, which is now known as Kraft Foods.  He attended meetings in Jamaica, the Bahamas and many major cities in Canada and the USA.  He retired in 1991 but couldn't resist an opportunity a year later to work for Ferguson Insurance, where he worked as a licensed Insurance Broker.  He finally retired in 2004, which was the beginning of "The Long Goodbye". Until 2007, Norm lived at home where Hilda served as the primary caregiver. Her commitment and devotion allowed him to remain at home until safety concerns became an issue and it was necessary to employ the help of the professionals at Fairview Personal Care Home. Hilda rarely missed a day that she was not able to be with Norm during his time there. His family and staff at Fairview often spoke about how fortunate they were that Norm was always quiet and easy to care for during his illness. Those of you who saw Norm on the ball diamond or at the arena know he had another side to him that wasn’t always so quiet; just ask any referee or umpire that knew him. Norm loved sports and played goalie in hockey and broomball. As recently as last week there was a clip in the Brandon Sun, under the column “30 Years Ago Today”, where he had earned a shutout in broomball. At 68 years of age he took up Karate at the Isshin Ryu Club in Brandon where he was known as the “Karate Kid”. Although he loved all sports, his real passion was fastball. Norm coached and managed many teams over the years and many of his teammates remained the same for decades.  Some of those teams were: Jenkins Carpet, Molson Canadian, A&W, Toro’s, Labatts, Cecil Hotel, Jenkins, Burns Food, Aunt Sarah’s, Beef & Barrel, Cook Lumber, Tri Star, and Bonanza (2004) to name a few. In 1997, Norm was involved in the Canada Summer Games and was Chairman of the Softball event. In 2003, Norm received the honour of being inducted into the Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame as a builder. Norm and his wife Hilda enjoyed many years together at their summer cottage at Ditch Lake, which they purchased in 1980. His family will never forget the fond times spent there. Norm expressed his passion for Christmas in the form of an annual extravagant light display at their home on Queens Avenue East. He took great pride in seeing others enjoy his colourful displays. Norm is survived by wife Hilda, sons Brad (Janice) and Lex (Darla); grandchildren Rob (Cherie), Stephen, Jennifer and Scott and their mother Jean; step-grandchildren Derek, Kurt and Kim Jory; great grandson Lucas John; step sister-in-law Grace; brother Paul Otke (Selma) and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by brother Archie (Margaret). The family wishes to express their sincere thanks and gratitude for the excellent care he received from Dr. Blythe and the wonderful, compassionate staff on the 5th Floor at Fairview Personal Care Home. A special thanks goes out to Gail and Steve Skibo for their ongoing support and friendship. A Ceremony to celebrate Norm’s life will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 29, 2009 at Memories Chapel, 330 – 18th Street North. Donations in memory of Norm may be made to the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba, 1-613-10th Street, Brandon, R7A 4G6 or a charity of your choice. Expressions of sympathy may be made at www.memorieschapel.com. Arrangements are with Memories Chapel & Pre-Planning Centre, 727-0330.

As published in Brandon Sun on Dec 28, 2009