Norman Barstow

1940 - 2021

Hartford - Norman Barstow died unexpectedly July 31. He had suffered for several years with Frontal Temporal Dementia caused by the gene mutation that is also behind many cases of ALS, the awful disease that had previously devastated members of his family.

Norm was born in New London, Nov. 12, 1940, to Elsie Saunders and Charles Barstow and raised in Mystic, the first of four children. He majored in art history and sang in The Brunaires while a Navy ROTC student at Brown University. Following graduation, he spent two years serving on a destroyer in the Mediterranean. He then returned to Mystic where he worked for a book importer, specializing in exotic large format texts. This was followed by five unhappy years as a group insurance underwriter. Finally, with the help of a big push from family and friends, he became an elementary school teacher in Simsbury and spent his last ten years as the science curriculum coordinator. He also served as president of the Connecticut Science Teachers' Association. This, as he was fond of saying, may have seemed an unusual career path for an art history major but he loved "hands-on" science and wanted to make sure kids did too.

Known as a "bon vivant," Norm is remembered by friends for the dinner parties he hosted, the recipes he shared, the jokes he told. He loved sailing and skiing and skinny dipping. Music was a big part of his life; he sang in glee clubs and church choirs, taught sea shanties to girl scouts at Mystic Seaport, and was a member of the Spare Parts-an acapella group known for its close harmonies and witty lyrics. Norm jogged regularly choosing a new neighborhood to explore most every day. He loved taking photographs of interesting faces and beautiful landscapes, and he was a tinkerer who enjoyed creating collages and mini sculptures out of a variety of found objects.

This gentle man was a loving father and husband. He enjoyed all people without being judgmental. He loved travel and foreign languages, acquiring just enough vocabulary to interact with anyone he encountered the years he lived in Greece and Bulgaria. He made friends easily, approached anyone who made eye contact with him, and loved telling jokes to strangers, especially as he lost the ability to communicate in other ways.

Norman Barstow will be mourned as The King of Limericks by his fraternity brothers, as W.H. Snapper, by his Navy buddies, as Stormin Norman by neighbors, and as Daddy and Grandpa by those who loved him most. He is survived by Jane Barstow, his wife of 50 years; his daughters, Amanda Barstow and Sarah Barstow; his grandsons, Nemi Martinez and Zinn Levine; his brother Bruce Barstow; and his sister Sharon Helton.

A memorial service is planned for the Autumn. Donations in his memory may be made to the Association for Frontal Temporal Dementia (AFTD) or the ALS Therapy Development Institute.