Norman Butler Stewart

Norman Butler Stewart, age 75, of Hickory, NC, passed away on Monday, April 25, 2022, at Catawba Valley Hospice House after a period of declining health. Born November 26, 1946, in Hickory, NC, he was the younger son of Nan Norman Stewart and Dr. Daniel N. Stewart, Jr.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Dan N. Stewart III. Norman's mother's family moved to Hickory in 1927, and his father moved to Hickory in the 1930's. The Norman-Hickory connection began when his great-grandfather, John Henry Norman, taught piano at Claremont Academy and was church organist at the Reformed Church. Norman graduated from Hickory High School in 1965 and played in the marching band as a flautist. He also attended Lenoir-Rhyne College, graduating in 1969 with a concentration in English.

Norman was very knowledgeable on Hickory-area history, but with a wry twist. (Such as: Hickory had a Bates Motel, which closed shortly after Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" came out.) He had an encyclopedic knowledge of the film industry, writing esoteric articles for various film publications. He was a devoted proponent of the "auteur theory" perspective about the film world, concentrating on the classic directors, from D. W. Griffith, Michael Powell, John Ford, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, & Orson Wells up through more contemporary master directors, such as Sydney Pollack, Peter Bogdanovich, and Wes Anderson. However, he retained an unusual disgust of community theatre. He also preferred getting out of his car at a fast food drive-thru to view the menu and speak his order into the microphone more closely.

A graveside service will be held on May 6, 2022, at 2:00 PM at Oakwood Cemetery, with Heather Davis of First Presbyterian Church officiating.

Condolences may be sent to the Stewart family at www.drumfh-hickory.com.

The Stewart family has entrusted funeral arrangements to Drum Funeral Home and Cremations in Hickory, NC.