Norman Hapgood

Norman Hapgood, 92, a unique figure in the old days of Lincoln town life, died at his home in Lincoln on Saturday, October 22, 2011, after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease and dementia. Norman was best known for riding his unicycle in the July 4th parade, usually with clever references to Lincoln town issues, and for speaking prolifically at Town Meeting. He was probably trying to follow in his politically-prominent father's footsteps (Norman Hapgood Sr., who died in 1937), but in reality his main contributions to town politics were comic relief and a persistent interrogation of the Finance Committee. He is survived by his younger brother, David Hapgood of New York City; daughters Margo Coates and husband Dale of Framingham, and Fae Fuerst and husband Carlton of Royal Oak, Michigan; grandson Russell Ward and wife Tracie of Sudbury; granddaughter Christine Ward of Warren; and four great-grandsons. Norman grew up in New York City and summered in Petersham, Massachusetts, and spent part of his childhood years in France. He spoke French like a native and was comfortable in German as well. His mother was the well-regarded translator Elizabeth Reynolds Hapgood, who spoke upwards of seven languages and firmly believed in the benefit of European travel. His parents had a great interest in education and this was another area where Norman attempted to carry on a family tradition, becoming a teacher after an early career as a physicist. The whole family loved the theater and were involved in it in various ways, and Norman was also smitten with the circus at an early age. He learned to juggle and ride the unicycle, performed as a free-lance clown, and for years arranged and promoted lessons in Lincoln with gymnastics teacher John Daly. After graduating from Trinity College with a B.S. in Mathematics, Norman joined the Army Signal Corps and spent time in Britain as part of the Second Electronics Training Group. Once America entered World War II, Lieutenant Norman Hapgood Jr. was sent to northern Africa and taught radar to the French in Algiers. Arriving back from Africa in 1944, he married Ruth Knott during a weekend leave. They had been married almost 63 years at her death in 2007. Norman's real talent lay in photography. As part of his study of physics he learned a great deal about light, and in New York City after the war invented a dye-transfer color photography process and started a business making prints. In 1951, after Margo was born, he took a job in optics research at Baird Associates in Cambridge, working with Bill Langton and Tom Lehrer among others. His colleagues had a saying: "At Baird, Norman is normal." In 1953 the family moved to Lincoln, where Fae was born in 1955. Norman left Baird in 1958, and after a subsequent job at Technical Operations Inc. his only pursuit of physics was as a teacher. He taught at a variety of schools, most notably at the experimental Palfrey Street School in Watertown. After a checkered work history that also included stints as an elephant handler, taxi driver, ditch digger, and balloon seller, he returned to photography full time. His black-and-white photographs include some unforgettable pictures, and his photos of life in Lincoln were often published in the Lincoln Journal. Internment of both Norman and Ruth will be at the Lincoln Cemetery (on Lexington Road) at 1:30 pm on Saturday, November 19; all are welcome. A celebration of Norman's life will follow, shortly after 2:00 pm at the Pierce House (17 Weston Road). Arrangements are under the direction of Norton Funeral Home in Framingham, www.nortonfuneralhome.com, 508-875-7871.