Norman Richard La Marque

1933 - 2021

Norman Richard La Marque

Nov. 4, 1933 - Sept. 29, 2021

SOUTH GLENS FALLS – Norman Richard La Marque passed away at Glens Falls Hospital on September 29, 2021 with his loving daughter by his side.

Norman was born in Ticonderoga on November 4, 1933, the son of the late Anna and Francis La Marque, being one of their 11 children.

He married Barbara Marion Pepper on August 9, 1953, in St. Alphonsus Church in Glens Falls. He and his wife raised two children in South Glens Falls, in the same home he currently lived. His loving wife Barbara passed away only seven months prior to his passing, after 67 years of marriage.

Besides raising and enjoying his family, Norman enjoyed motorcycling with Barbara throughout their 67 years of marriage. In the beginning years of their marriage, they would join the motorcycle races and fun at Laconia, NH each year, and made films of the races that they would watch with family for years later, as well as many slides of motorcycle friends and family fun. He would get out the slide projector or the reel projector for friends and relatives to come over, have a show, and reminisce. Norm was still riding his Harley up until his passing, and went for a ride through the windy roads he and Barbara enjoyed the most, just days before his passing.

In the early years of riding, Norm was Road Captain of the Easy Rider Motorcycle Club. Later in life, he was a member of the Harley Owners Group, HOG. Norm would take his children out for rides on the motorcycle as soon as they were big enough to ride. When the children were older, he got mini bikes for them, and would take them on the trails at his brother-in-law's property in Greenfield. When the first grandson came along, Norm got a sidecar for his motorcycle and he could be seen around town with his grandson along out in the sidecar.

Besides motorcycling, Norm and Barb loved camping. They took their children as infants and throughout the years camping in tents at first, then tent trailers, then worked up to hard top trailers getting bigger each time. Their dream was to take a motorhome traveling with the Harley towed in a trailer behind them when they retired, and they did just that, so they could go south and ride the motorcycle all year long.

Norman worked for Finch Pruyn Paper Mill for 43 years until retirement, shift work for most of those years. He was also the Union President for several years, being able to negotiate and lead for his fellow workers with his diplomatic demeanor. Norman was a very tall, big man, and for years, he had the nickname "Tiny" amongst all his friends. Additionally, his wife Barbara sold Avon for nearly 30 years, and after Norm retired, he would drive Barb around to make her deliveries, and helped her put together orders on delivery day for over a hundred customers. Norm and Barb were also big Yankee baseball fans, and would watch every game of the year together in their home, year after year, cheering their favorite team on.

Most importantly to Norman was his family. He loved and adored his wife and children, and their happiness and welfare meant everything to him. His first and foremost love and dedication was to them. He was a kind and gentle man, and everyone that knew him loved his kindness, his own special sense of humor, and his storytelling skills. When Barbara's health declined for a couple years before her passing, he stayed by her side being her nurse so that she could spend the last couple years at home with him. He would tell her that she was just as beautiful as the day he married her, and he meant it.

Norman and Barbara are riding their Harley motorcycle in heaven together again. They are survived by their daughter, Victoria Jean La Marque; their son, Richard Norman La Marque; their grandsons: Robert Wayne La Marque and Timothy James La Marque, along with his fiance Jessica Hill; Norman's brother, Thomas La Marque, and his wife Lorna; and several neices and nephews.

There will be a private viewing. A graveside service and burial will be held at St. Mary's Cemetery in South Glens Falls on Wednesday, October 6, at 2:00 p.m.

Arrangements are under the care of the Regan Denny Stafford Funeral Home, 53 Quaker Road, Queensbury and those who wish may make online condolences at sbfuneralhome.com.