Merlin Robert Norby

NORBY Captain MERLIN ROBERT NORBY Died in the presence of his surviving wife Virginia Norby and daughter Marlys Norby June 28, 2013. He was talking about his naval career and surrounded by his beloved family, in the moment he was essentially in his element. The Uno's restaurant in Kingstown, VA, has a fabulous helpful staff that were very compassionate throughout the event of his death, thank you. His grandson Easton Norby-Vardac is depicted in this picture and Capt Norby has left behind an honorable legacy for both his grandson's to remember. His other surviving grandson is Graham Norby-Vardac, and he loved his ex son-in-law Eric Vardac, very much and continued to support him as his family. A life can be measured in things and effect on fellow humans or both. Captain Norby was beloved everywhere he went because his effect was to leave a room with people knowing they had met a kind effective person. His effectiveness in the Navy was expressed in a long career, 38 years total enlisted and career officer, which he loved serving once graduating from the Naval Academy in 1953. He had previously served as an enlisted man for a total of four years, he went to boot camp in Idaho Falls for World War II. He had contacts all his life with his classmates and shipmates. One had just visited the week before June 28th. He served on board the USS Matthews, the Fort Manden, was the skipper of the SOSUS cable ship the USS Neptune before it was turned over to the military sealift command and was the engineering officer on the USS Intrepid the military museum up in the New York. He has his profile at the Navy Memorial. After serving in the Navy he was a consultant for 10 years at Presearch, Inc., helping to produce and design the LSD 41 and LSD 41 CV with his engineering acumen. When his first Grandson was born he left in 1993 to help take care of him at his home. He loved to watch him and participated fully in the lives of his two grandchildren and his neighborhood in Waynewood. He loved to watch them do Tae Kwon Do, and especially Easton's baseball games. He was known in his neighborhood for walking his dogs Sandy and Sweetums and swimming laps at Waynewood pool. He stopped walking his dogs a year ago when he couldn't move his legs with predictability from Parkinson's and had fallen multiple times. He fought to control his body valiantly, after a life of fierce fitness, he was doing crossfit before the branding existed. He was medivacked from the Mount Vernon trail near his home in 1996 when he toppled over the gully from a bike ride, avoiding two women coming up the path. It is remarkable only that with his discipline he had full rotator cuff motion because he dutifully did all his exercises recovering full motility. He was an unusually disciplined athletic man. He also provided fully for his family, which is also a testament to the man with no mentors or guidance and coming from absolutely nothing on a farm in Bagley, Minnesota born into the "log cabin' edifice his father built and the last of the first five of 12 to be born in that hand built "log cabin' in the woods. Meager beginnings but an example of a man that had little to start with, educated in a one room schoolhouse, but developed his mind, continued progressing and contributed all through his life. He gave his money to many institutions and loved our country and served it with his entire being. He is a beloved husband, father and grandfather. We will miss him dearly and never ever forget him. Viewing will be held on July 8, 11 a.m. at Demaine Funeral Home, Alexandria, VA. A Memorial Service will be held on July 9, 11 a.m. at Aldersgate Methodist Church, Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria, VA 22308. Interment Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.