Norborne Page Cole, Jr.

On October 19, 2022, Norborne (Norb) Page Cole Jr., passed away after 80 incredible years on our planet. Those eight decades saw him travel to the far corners of the world and touch many lives with his warm smile and rugged determination. His friends will miss his easy conversation, sharp wit, and humor. His family will hold dear to countless memories of their adventures together and carry with them his passion and spirit of generosity.

Norb was born, March 2, 1942, in Roanoke, Virginia to Norborne Sr. and Katherine (Kitty) Mudd Cole.

The oldest of five children, he was raised in a modest home in Signal Mountain, Tennessee. He embraced his beloved parents’ values of honesty, thoughtfulness, and hard work. During his formative years, he also developed his lifelong love of music. His eclectic taste reflected the country music, rhythm and blues and rock n’ roll records that spun throughout the South in the 1950s.

After briefly attending college in Tennessee, Norb enlisted in the United States Air Force and served his country in the Vietnam War, fighting valiantly under difficult circumstances. Many years later he would return to Vietnam and make peace with those who were once deemed his enemy.

Following almost five years in the Air Force, Norb found an entry-level job with the Coca-Cola Company. His diligence, desire to learn and outgoing personality allowed him to advance quickly. He readily embraced new challenges and developed a keen sense of the business world.

As his professional career progressed, Norb also started a family. He and his former wife Jane had two children, Mary Katherine (Kacy), and Norborne Page Cole III (Page), whom he loved dearly. They moved around the country and eventually settled in San Antonio in 1978.

By 1981, Norb had worked his way up to President/COO of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of the Southwest. He was a gifted speaker whose engaging personality could charm a room and put everyone at ease. His friends would joke that he easily could have been a preacher or politician. Even when he held the highest position within the company, Norb would take time each year to ride in delivery trucks and bring product to customers early in the morning.

As his career evolved in San Antonio, Norb’s personal life would also take a new direction. Following a divorce, Norb was set up on a date with Dina Kinder. That date would lead to a loving marriage of more than 35 years. Dina and her two children, Ruth Storrie, and Tad Hathaway formed a quick bond of love with Norb and his two kids. They jokingly referred to themselves as “The Brady Bunch” and they brought out the best in one another. Norb loved taking them on incredible trips and experiencing new cultures together. They shared many dinners filled with laughter and inside jokes. Norb savored his patriarchal role at the head of the table and kicked off many meals with a celebratory toast or words of grace.

In 1989, the family moved to Brussels, Belgium, where Norb accepted a position as the regional manager for Coca-Cola. His success there so impressed the company that they recruited him to become President/CEO of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company in France. It was in Paris that he and his family shared many of their fondest memories together. He developed a love of French culture and wine that would remain with him until his final days.

Norb’s last career assignment led him to Sydney, Australia, where he was CEO of Coca-Cola Amatil and headed a bottling operation for 18 countries that spanned from Oceania up through Southeast Asia to Eastern Europe. Whether it was in the highlands of Papau New Guinea or the bustling center of Kiev, Norb had the unique ability to connect with those around him.

Throughout his global travels, Norb was always proud to represent the American ideal that with enough hard work and determination, goals that were once unthinkable could be accomplished.

Even after he retired to his favorite city of San Antonio, Norb’s work ethic did not fade. He became a trusted consultant for Silver Eagle Distributors and also served as a board member for Lancer Corporation, Papa John’s Pizza, and Randgold Resources.

His work with Randgold regularly took him to Africa, and one of his proudest accomplishments was hiking up the rugged mountain trails of Rwanda to see wild silverback gorillas in their natural habitat. Possibly his dearest board position was on the San Antonio Zoo, where Norb served as executive vice president up until his passing.

Norb always embraced the natural world and being outdoors. He was an excellent hunter and fisherman. He cherished trips with his children to the mountains of the American west where they enjoyed each other’s company while fly fishing, bird hunting, and savoring the fresh air and starry skies.

Despite four battles with cancer, Norb always maintained an active lifestyle. He and Dina loved hosting dinner parties where they could share their love of food and wine with family and friends. His constant physical activity included walking, yoga, and golfing. His golf games at the San Antonio Country Club brought smiles to fellow members and created new friendships. Those who shared a round with him may have been surprised to learn he never picked up a golf club until after he retired from full-time work.

Norb enjoyed so many of the wonderful possibilities the world has to offer. He always saw the glass as half-full and was quick to tackle a new challenge or turn the page after a setback. He left a lasting legacy that his family and friends will cherish and pass down to future generations.

Norb is survived by his wife, Dina, their four children, his beloved Labrador, Bugs and ten grandchildren:Bo (Norborne Page Cole IV), Jet, Griffin and Olive Cole; Hannah, Sean and Sara Storrie; Robbie, Austin and Carina Hathaway.

His family would like to thank Personal Care Management and Amedisys Hospice for providing peace and comfort in his final days. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial donation to the San Antonio Zoo.

You may also pay tribute to his memory by taking a trip or having a dinner party with your friends and loved ones, reading your favorite newspaper from front to back as he did every morning, or watching a nature documentary to discover something new and wondrous about our beautiful planet. Feel free to raise a glass of Bordeaux wine or a nice Scotch whisky in his honor as well.

Honorary pallbearers are Tim Morrow, Richard Azar, Donnie Seay, Rhew Dooley, Dave Berndt, Tucker Barnes, Barksdale Collins, Buddy Kinder, Cappy Lawton, and Tom Hill.

A memorial will be held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 315 E. Pecan St., at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26th.