Norma Jean Hienemann

Norma Jean (Hallett) Hienemann, 94, passed away peacefully on September 19, 2026, at the home of her daughter Rosemary, surrounded by her family. She was the beloved wife of the late Ben “Captain Benny” Hienemann. Services will be private.

Born June 23, 1932, Norma spent much of her life beside her husband at Capt. Benny’s, the Houston seafood house he built in the shape of a boat. What began as a small oyster bar became a city fixture: oysters shucked in front of the guests, a full seafood menu that grew over the years, and eventually several locations. Regulars simply called it The Boat. For decades it drew families, night-owls, and a long list of Houston faces—Governor Mark White, Oilers coach Bum Phillips, players from the Oilers and the Astros, and performers from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo among them. Family memory has it that the grand opening even featured Blue Öyster Cult, early in the band’s career. After Captain Benny’s death, Norma remained a presence there. The restaurant was never only his; it was theirs.

Away from The Boat, she loved to travel with Benny. They went to Hawaii—helicopter ride included—to Lake Tahoe, and to Las Vegas more times than anyone kept count. Those trips were part of the same partnership that showed up in the dining room: she was game, she liked a good time, and she liked being with him. She loved going to Oilers games and, especially, Astros games, all the way back to when the team was the Colt .45s. She loved doting on her grandchildren, especially at Christmas.

She was known for a sharp wit—some would say a sarcastic one—and she did not waste it. After she retired from the business, she lived alone for several years. Later her son Daniel (Danny) moved in and became her caretaker, remaining with her until his passing last year. From that time on she lived with her daughter Rosemary. Rosemary and her daughters—especially Stacy, along with Teri and Kelsey, all nurses—gave her full-time care until her death.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ben (Benny) Hienemann; her sons Larry Miday and Daniel Miday; her son-in-law Carl Nowlin; and her daughter-in-law Theresa (Terri) Miday.

She is survived by her sisters, Dorothy (Dottie) Fausset and Doris (Dee) Aebel; her stepdaughter, Judy Hienemann; her son Travis Miday, his wife Susan, and their son Kieran; her son John aka “Raymond” Miday and his sons Jason and Jeremy; her daughter Rosemary Nowlin and her daughters Stacy, Teri, and Kelsey; and a host of great-grandchildren.

Those who knew her will remember a woman who stood for years in a boat-shaped oyster bar and still found her way to Hawaii, Tahoe, and another night in Las Vegas. The Boat remains. So does the family she leaves behind.