CARL NORMAN

02/01/1931 - 08/03/2022

Dr. Carl Edgar Norman, 91, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 3 at the home of his daughter in Houston, TX.

Carl was born February 1, 1931 in the small rural community of Cokato, MN —the only boy of four children. His youth was marked by significant loss. His father Oscar, a Swedish immigrant, died when Carl was a young boy of 8. Carl’s maternal grandmother also passed away soon thereafter. During the summer of 1946, Carl and his 3 sisters were stricken by polio; one sister quickly succumbed and another was paralyzed. He was always grateful to the neighbors in his close farming community who stepped in to help his family after suffering these significant losses.

After graduating high school in 1948, Carl had no future plans, other than to continue working on the family farm, until he was encouraged by a friend to apply to the University of Minnesota. Although Carl believed attending college was assuredly not within the realm of possibility, he applied and was accepted. After completing one year of study, Carl chose to enlist in the U.S. Air Force in 1950 prior to being drafted. He worked as an aircraft mechanic servicing Convair B-36 “Peacemaker” bombers on bases in Texas and Maine; he was honorably discharged after four years of service. The GI Bill enabled him to return to the University of Minnesota where he completed his bachelor’s degree in Geology with minor studies in Physics and Mathematics, earning cum laude honors, in 1957. Later in his life, he established the Carl E. Norman scholarship fund.

Carl became passionate about his geology studies and continued his education by earning a M.S. in Geology in 1959 from The Ohio State University. He worked as a Petroleum Geologist for Humble Oil Company in the midwest and western states from 1959-1962 and served as a Geophysicist for the U.S. Bureau of Mines Applied Physics Research Lab in Maryland in 1963-1964. Upon leaving Humble Oil Company, Carl returned to The Ohio State University to pursue his Ph.D. in Geology and Geophysics where he became the first Ph.D. student ever to be awarded a scholarship from the National Science Foundation. Carl was a member of Phi Beta Kappa Society, Society of the Sigma XI, and Sigma Gamma Epsilon. In 1964, Dr. Norman was invited by NASA to apply to the astronaut training program as one of the first non-pilot/scientist astronauts for the Apollo missions.

Prior to completing his Ph.D. in 1967, Carl was offered a teaching position at the University of Houston which he accepted in 1965. During his 35 year teaching tenure, Dr. Norman taught Physical Geology to more than 6,500 students and mentored numerous postgraduate students on their theses and dissertations. Carl was the Geoscience Department’s field camp instructor for 12 years, leading students on field trips to Mexico, New Mexico, the Grand Canyon, and Colorado. He was awarded the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Studies’ Outstanding Educator Award in 1992.

In the 1970s, Carl began researching the hazard of geologic surface faults and their impact on property in the Houston area. His research expanded beyond academia and he began consulting for government entities, private companies, and individual property owners. Over the course of his lengthy career, Dr. Norman mapped over 300 active surface faults in the Greater Houston area. His expertise was also sought out by local media regarding not only destructive surface faults, but also sink holes and earthquakes.

Carl was a long-standing member of the Houston Geological Society and devoted over 40 years of service to its Warren Calvert Scholarship Fund. Dr. Norman was awarded the Houston Geological Society President’s Award and Distinguished Service Awards for his contributions to HGS. Also a member of the Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists (AEG), Carl was awarded the Floyd T. Johnston Memorial Award for Outstanding Geologist for the Texas Section of AEG.

Dr. Norman worked actively until July 2020 when he suffered a major car accident which destroyed his beloved Toyota pick up truck and forced him to retire at the age of 89. It became too taxing for him to continue his exhaustive field investigations— slogging through wetlands, chopping dense underbrush with a machete, enduring the summer heat and humidity, dodging thorny vines and barbed-wire fences, avoiding snakes, poison ivy, swarms of killer bees, and a multitude of other field hazards. He was truly devoted to his work and enjoyed every minute.

Carl was a kind man of integrity and a kid at heart with a playful, creative side. His interests included working crossword and Sudoko puzzles; playing piano by ear; researching his Swedish heritage; and cheering on his grandson Mikey in everything he did. He enjoyed many travels throughout the U.S. and abroad. Although emotionally reserved, Carl loved his family deeply and held steadfast to his Scandinavian upbringing and beliefs. His family loves and misses him profoundly, but takes great comfort knowing he is home at peace with his Lord and Savior.

Carl was preceded in death by his father Oscar Edwin Norman, mother Grace Genevieve; sisters Pearl Norman, Ruth Lindahl, and Delores Larson; his niece Susan Pearl Lindahl. Carl is survived by his only child Ingrid Monroy, Grandson Michael Monroy, son-in-law Cesar Monroy, former wife and lifelong friend Judith Norman all of Houston, TX; nieces Deborah Larson and Angela Burke and husband Terry Burke; nephew Tim Larson and wife Jeannette Larson; brother-inlaw Gerald Larson; 5 grand nephews, 2 grand nieces, and 15 great-grand nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Service will be held Friday, September 16 at 2:00 p.m. at Memorial Drive United Methodist Church; 12955 Memorial Dr. Houston, 77079.

The family kindly suggests that memorial donations be made to:

Mikey’s Place, a charitable organization named for Carl’s grandson which assists families raising children with disabilities.

PO Box 19755; Houston, TX 77224

www.mikeysplace.net