Norman Palma St. Martin

Norman is survived by his wife, Joan: his two children, Norman Palma St. Martin II of Lanexa, Virginia and Jill St. Martin Pate (Jeff) of Cullman, Alabama; and his two grandchildren, Nicholette St. Martin, PhD, of Richmond, Virginia, and James St. Martin, currently attending college in Florida. He is also survived by his siblings: Janet Price (Bob), Paul “Butch” St. Martin (Deborah), Nancy Pimental (Richard), Susan Gouveia, and David St. Martin.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Rita Y. Roberts, formerly Rita Y St. Martin, and Palma St. Martin; and by his brothers Allen St. Martin (Linda) and Gary St. Martin.

Norman was born in Taunton, Massachusetts. He was a graduate of St. Jacques Elementary School and Taunton High School. He later continued his education at Tidewater Community College.

Upon graduating high school, Norman began what would become a distinguished career in the United States Navy serving both active duty and in the reserves. He attended recruit training at Great Lakes, Illinois, in 1962 and reported to his first assignment aboard the USS Randolph in May 1963. During this time, he deployed to the Caribbean, Bermuda, Canada and the Mediterranean,

In September 1965 he transferred to the USS Essex in Quonset Point, Rhode Island. In May 1966 Norman married his wife, Joan, and soon after left active duty in the US Navy, continuing his service as a reservist. He returned to Taunton, Massachusetts, where he worked as an engineering aide for Texas Instruments in Attleboro for several years and later as a corrections officer for the Massachusetts Correctional Institute in Norfolk for a year.

Norman later resumed active duty in November 1974 beginning a long and accomplished period of service as an Operations Specialist. His assignments included the USS John F. Kennedy, Fleet Training Unit Little Creek, USS Hermitage, USS Nassau, and Fleet Combat Training Center Atlantic in Dam Neck, Virginia. He also served with the Fleet Surveillance Support Command in Chesapeake, Virginia, completing multiple deployments to Amchitka in the Aleutian Islands.

Throughout his career Norman earned numerous honors, including three Navy Achievement Medals, the National Defense Service Medal (second award), Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal (fifth award), Navy Achievement Medal (third award), Meritorious Unit Commendation, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (third award). He retired from the U.S. Navy in 1992 as a Senior Chief Operations Specialist after 30 years of dedicated service.

Following his military retirement Norman continued working, including time with Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries. In 1994 he began a second career with Raytheon Company as a field engineer

supporting ROTHR systems contributing to counter-narcotics operations. He remained with Raytheon for 15 years before retiring in 2010.

Norman was an avid fisherman and hunter who found great peace in the outdoors. He took pride in sharing that passion with his son, Norman “Joe”, beginning in his youth and continuing into adulthood.

Norman loved his grandchildren and took great pride in being their grandfather.