Norman Ernest Rioux

1932 - 2020

Norman Ernest Rioux, 88, passed away on October 28, 2020 at Bel-Aire Nursing Home following a lingering illness.


Mr. Rioux was born August 9, 1932, at 43 (then) Northern Avenue in Newport, Vermont, the son of Ernest H. Rioux and Gladys M. (Kane) Rioux. He attended West School in Newport as well as Newport High School until his Junior year when in 1948 he and his family moved to Douglas, Arizona, where he completed his high school education graduating from Douglas High School in the class of 1950. He attended Williams College, and was graduated Cum Laude from the University of Arizona in 1954. Graduate degree academic work was completed at La Universidad de Valencia (Spain), and the National University of Mexico.


During a career in education which spanned over 60 years he was involved in either teaching or administration at independent high schools in Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina as well as Adjunct Professorships at Methodist College, Sandhills Community College, Johnson State College, New Hampshire Community Technical College and Norwich University. He worked as a newspaper columnist for the Newport Daily Express & The Chronicle of Barton. He retired three times during his career most recently from his post as Professor of Spanish at Norwich University where he taught for seven years. In the early years of the 21st century Mr. Rioux spent two years as Visiting Professor of American Culture and English Language at the British Institute in Venice, Italy. Other overseas teaching assignments prior to Venice occurred in Valencia, Spain, and St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. After his first retirement Rioux was a member of the teaching faculty on three occasions at the Community High School of Vermont located within the walls of the Northern State Correctional Facility on the Glen road in Newport.


Mr. Rioux was a published author, college placement officer associated with York Educational Consultants for many years during a long-time residence in New York City. He was the founder of Sterling School (now known as Sterling College) in Craftsbury Common, Vermont, in the fall of 1958. That program grew out of an earlier summer school program on a property on Lost Nation Road in Craftsbury of which he was the co- developer. Located on the shores of Great Hosmer Pond, now the home of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center, that program opened when Mr. Rioux was 23 years old and a teaching Master at Berkshire School in Sheffield, Massachusetts.

All known survivors and interested parties have previously been notified of Mr. Rioux's death. At his request there will be no calling hours, no guest book entries, no funeral, no memorial service, and no contributions requested for any charity. Curtis Britch et al Funeral Home has been entrusted with the final arrangements for Mr. Rioux.


(This obituary was written prior to his demise by Mr. Rioux, and Curtis Britch et al accepts no responsibility for any information contained therein).