Norman Henry Phipps

He was born December 2, 1927, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was a son of the late William Floyd and Edith M. Phipps. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Sherry Cope Phipps Bolin, two brothers, Floyd Eugene Phipps of California and Edmond Charles Phipps of Birmingham, Alabama, and a special sister-in-law, Beatrice Phipps.

Norman served his country with the U.S. Marine Corps. After his years of service he was in the piano business having had stores in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Montgomery, Alabama, Jacksonville, Florida and recently in Statesville, North Carolina, where he has lived for many years. He loved rebuilding pianos and anything related to them, spending time with his grandchildren, and deep sea fishing with Chris. He was a member of Yadkin Baptist Church and a proud Marine.

Survivors include his wife, LaDean Davis Phipps whom he married on July 16, 1965; a son, William Daniel Phipps of Auburn, Alabama; a daughter, Rene LaDuke and her husband, Barry, of Racine, Wisconsin; and two grandchildren, Courtney and Christopher and his wife, Jackie; and two great-grandchildren, Caleb and Ashlyn, along with many nieces and nephews and a host of friends.

Services celebrating Norman's life will be conducted at 2:00 PM Friday, December 23, 2011, at Yadkin Baptist Church with the Rev. Tony Bunton and Dr. J. B. Parker, Jr. officiating. He will lie in state at the church from noon until the funeral hour and burial will follow in the church cemetery with full military rites presented by the Iredell County Veterans Council Burial Detail. The family will assemble at the residence of the deceased and will receive friends from 7:00 to 8:30 PM this evening (Thursday) at Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home.

Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.bunchjohnsonfuneralhome.com.

Memorials may be given to Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County, Inc., 2347 Simonton Road, Statesville, NC 28625, or to the Iredell County Veterans Council, c/o Joseph Stallings, 263 Spring Shore, Statesville, NC 28677.

Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home is entrusted with the arrangements.