Norwood Wesley "Red" Pope Sr.

Norwood Wesley "Red" Pope Sr. died at Sherman Hospice Home at Mayo Clinic on March 8,2011,from multiple com-plications of lung disease. Born October 10, 1931 in Raleigh,NC,Redwas a devoted, loving husband, father and grandfather. He was the son of now-deceased Mr. and Mrs. E. N. Pope (Elma Parker). His career spanned more than 50 years in business and senior management in bank marketing. A 1953 graduate of Wake Forest College, Red began his career in New York City with the national advertising and public relations agency, Bozell & Jacobs, Inc. He later served in advertising administration for R.J. Reynolds Company prior to entering the bank marketing field in 1959. During his career, he held senior level marketing positions with First Citizens Bank, in North Carolina, Sun Banks of Florida,Valley National Bank of Arizona, and First Hawaiian Bank. He served as national president of the Bank Marketing Association,1979-80,and was selected one of six original members of the Bank Marketing Hall of Fame in 1995. In addition to creating and directing marketing campaigns for retail-driven banks, Red wrote a marketing column for The American Banker daily newspaper for 13 years. He taught marketing in five banking schools, addressed executive banking audiences in England, Columbia and Brazil, and for more than 18 years was a speaker at the Assembly for Bank Directors. Redcontributed over 100 articles to bank trade publications and marketing books, and was featured in Tom Peters In Search of Excellence. His columns on customer service at Disney theme parks have been used in case studies at Harvard Business School and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. Following retirement in 1997 from First Hawaiian Bank, he and his wife, Linda, re-turned to live in Scottsdale, AZ. He continued to consult with several banks through-out the country. During the collective 18 years Red called Arizona home, he contributed to a variety of community activities including Chairman of the Phoenix and Valley of the Sun Convention and Visitors Bureau,Downtown Phoenix Partnership Board of Directors, the Fiesta Bowl Committee, the Phoenix Zoo, and the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. He served as an active volunteer at Mayo Clinic and the Musical Instrument Museum until he became ill last fall. He wrote and published three books, Travel- Speak, The Dance Band from Deacontown, and The Sweet Potato Caper. Red was famous for his immense creativity, great joke telling, playing practical jokes on his many friends, inspirational public speaking,and always had a yearning torun away with the circus. His lifes motto Often Wrong, but Never in Doubt! was well known by everyone whose path crossed his. He and his wife, Linda, traveled throughout most countries in the world and developed strong ties with many families throughout the course of their travels.Red is survived by his wife, Linda; his son Norwood Wesley Wes Pope, Jr. (Brigid) and their three children, Kelsey, Erin and J oe of Charlotte, NC; his daughter, Susan P. Pope of Niceville, FL; and step-daughter, Candace B. Farina (Shane) and their two children, Lexie and Kate Farina of Scottsdale, AZ. A memorial service will be held on March 29,11 a.m.,at Hayes Barton Baptist Church, 1800 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina 27608. His cremains will be scattered in sentimental places of his hometown, Raleigh. A celebration of life will be held in Scottsdale in the near future. In lieu of flowers,the family is asking that contributions be made in the name of Nor-wood Wesley Pope, Sr. to any one of the following organizations: The Wake Forest College Birthplace Society, P. O. Box 494,Wake Forest, NC 27588; The North Carolina Zoological Society, 4403 Zoo Parkway, Asheboro, NC 27205; Hospice of the Valley, 1510 East Flower Street, Phoenix, AZ 85014; or to your favorite charity. Local arrangements are under the direction of Messinger Pinnacle Peak Mortuary, Scottsdale, AZ. North Carolina arrangements are under the direction of Brown- Wynne Funeral Home, 300 St. Marys Street, Raleigh, NC.

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