Robert David Norman

Robert David Norman

Ava, Missouri

Robert David Norman passed away on July 10, 2025, with his daughter, Cindy, and son, Jason, by his bedside. He was 82.

David had a deep, unfailing love for the many people in his life and an unflinching dedication to his hometown of Ava. He lived a life of service, personally and professionally, serving on numerous boards and elected positions in the city and at his church, Ava Methodist Church. He also was an active member of the Ava Masonic Lodge #26, Scottish Rite at Joplin, and Abou Ben Adhem Shrine in Springfield, until his final days.

To know David was to know his many stories. A conversation always sparked side tales of connections and relationships throughout the family tree, and his voluminous knowledge of Douglas County and the families who lived there was without parallel.

David was born on Aug. 8, 1942, to E.B. Norman Jr. and Genieve Exline Norman in Ava, Missouri. He was delivered by and named after Dr. Robert M. Norman, born in his Exline grandparents' home on Benton Avenue, and he lived most of his first 20 years on that same street.

For a brief time during his early childhood, he lived in St. Louis until his father graduated from Pharmacy College. After his father's graduation, they moved to Joplin and lived there until his father was drafted into the Navy during World War II. After boot camp, they moved to the naval base in Waukegan, Illinois. In 1945, after the war, they returned to Benton Avenue in Ava, Missouri only a few houses from his place of birth.

He attended elementary and secondary schools at Ava and graduated in 1960. During high school, his name was synonymous with basketball excellence, and for decades, he held the record for most points scored by an Ava High School player. He and Sharon Shell were married on May 19, 1963, and were blessed with two children: Lucinda "Cindy" Lee and Jason David.

David was a senior at St. Louis College of Pharmacy when Cindy was born in 1967, and after graduation later that year the family moved to Ava where David began working at Ava Drug Co., a family partnership established in 1950 by his grandfather, father and Dr. Marvin C. Gentry. David worked over 50 years in the pharmacy at Ava Drug Co. and at Norman Drug in Mansfield, Missouri. He always said, "People make the profession of pharmacy a pleasure."

He also appreciated graduating from St. Louis College of Pharmacy - where his father and his brother, Stephen, received degrees as well - and remained an active alumnus of the college throughout his life, returning for many alumni functions over the decades.

David and Dorothy Purdy Anderson were married in 1981 and combined their families with Dorothy's son, Kevin C. Anderson, who was 9 years old at the time of their marriage, joining the fold.

Just about every holiday, there would be a call to the Norman household for a needed prescription, and without complaint or fail, David would hop into his truck and head to the drugstore, where he had become owner. In 1982, he removed the original soda fountain but decided to reinstall it in 2005 to create a community hub in the center of town. It took two years to install, with Gary Lakey contributing all of the cabinet work. David never rushed his projects; he took whatever time and resources were necessary to make them with care and precision.

With 5-cent ice-cream cones as a draw, the fountain buzzed with success and became a special place to work, eat and visit. Much to his surprise, it also emerged as a well-known tourist attraction for the city, even appearing in a front-page article in the New York Times.

He brought that same patience to securing a Super 8 franchise and establishing a signature motel with convention room on the edge of town.

He continued to work in pharmacy when needed until he decided to finally and completely retire when he decided that it was time to make room for someone else. (He never really wanted to retire.)

David's service extended well beyond the pharmacy counter. He served on the Ava R-1 School Board from 1975 to 1981 and from 1984 to 1990, and joined the Ava City Council from 1999 to 2008 and from 2012 to 2015. He was appointed mayor in February 2015 and was formally elected in April of that year. He served two terms before "retiring" in April 2019, but after some time off, he decided to run for mayor again in 2023 and won another two-year term that ended in April 2025.

David was a member of other boards in his hometown as well: the Ava Alumni Association, the Ava School Fund, and the Douglas County Sheltered Workshop. He was also a longtime member of Ava Methodist Church and served on numerous church boards over the years.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy; his parents; his brother, Stephen; two cousins, Shilah Morris Robertson and Pat Robertson; and all of his grandparents.

Surviving David are his daughter, Cindy Groves, and her husband, Jon Groves; son Jason Norman, and his wife, Michelle Norman; stepson Kevin C. Anderson, and his wife, Michelle Anderson; grandchildren Sunny Groves, Logan Anderson, Jenna Groves, Nathan Groves, Macie Norman; and many cousins. Following services will be a private family burial of cremains in the Ava Cemetery.

Contributions in his honor may be made to the Ava Alumni Association, Douglas County Museum or Ava Methodist Church.