Norman is survived by his children Connie Petrolle & Phillip Ohler; his granddaughters Rebekah (Phillip) Miles, Victoria (Brian) Lee, & Susanna (Charles) McCorkle; his beloved great-grandchildren Joshua Lee & Caroline Miles; his sisters Patricia Rogers, Martha (Rex) Young, and Barbara Ellen Tanner; and many nieces & nephews.
In addition to his parents, Norman was predeceased by his wife, Betty Hicks Ohler, his sister Bonnie Statz, his brother Hayes Ohler, his son-in-law Joseph Petrolle Jr., his father-in-law and mother-in-law Ray and Marjorie Hicks, and many brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.
Norman served in the US Navy during World War 2. After the war, he attended and graduated from Oklahoma University, and began his lifelong career as an engineer with IBM. In 1960, IBM moved Norman’s family to Upstate NY. He became an expert troubleshooter in his department at IBM. Most notably, he was given the opportunity to contribute to the Saturn/Apollo project. He was a passionate advocate for the mentally ill and he served as the president of the local NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) chapter. He had many hobbies including reading scientific journals, novels, and repairing organs.
Norman and Betty were married for 70 wonderful years and she was his sweetheart until the very end. Together, they traveled to most of the 50 states, loved visiting national parks, and enjoyed spending the Winter in North Fort Myers, Florida for 25 years.
Norman loved his family well. To quote one of his granddaughters, “he was very salty but sweet when no one was watching. He was always the smartest guy in the room and taught me so much by always challenging me to learn and be inquisitive. Often without my knowledge, he stood between myself and disaster for the better part of my childhood. He was special. He didn’t need recognition or fuss. He was just there. Always.”
A funeral service will be held in the chapel at Chapel Hill Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens in Oklahoma City, OK on Wednesday, January 15th at 11 AM where he will be laid to rest.
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