John Olan Norman

I was very saddened to learn of John's passing. He was my undergraduate thesis advisor, and he remained my closest intellectual mentor until he died. He encouraged me to constantly get out of my comfort zone and to learn as much about the world as possible. He was quick but fair to critique, a quality I truly admired. Without John's encouragement I doubt that I would have continued my studies of Russian language and culture beyond undergrad. There are truly few as honest, genuine, sincere,...

Uncle John will be very dearly missed. He was wise, understanding, and sympathetic. He was a great person to talk to; a good listener who gave thoughtful responses. He had a wry sense of humor. Uncle John brought a touch of class with him wherever he went. He loved beautiful things and delighted in choosing and giving gifts to loved ones. Our lives will be forever enriched for having known him. The bravery and resiliency that he showed during his battle with cancer was a testament to his...

I always enjoyed working with John in WMU's libraries. He will be missed.

I am sorry to learn of your loss and send my deep sympathies to the family. John and I worked together and helped to develop the doctoral program with other colleagues in History and he was eager to help in this process. He mentored graduate students and gladly shared his knowledge of Russian History. I was hired after John so he was helpful in my career as I got oriented to the department.
May you have fond memories and the may the warm thoughts of friend and family be a comfort.

My sincerest condolences to the family on your loss.

I found John to be engaging, especially in 2000 when we would spend some time together in my office after 5 p.m. and everything had calmed down in the department and we really got to know each other a little better. I especially appreciated his passion for helping his graduate students through their coursework, dissertation and into their first position. He was proud of this record and rightly so. He will be missed.

I value the friendship John and I had over the years. He was both a coworker and neighbor. He will be missed.