James "Jim" Robert Norman

James (Jim) Robert Norman was born in Oklahoma City, OK. on December 11, 1940 and left this life in Oklahoma City, OK on July 23, 2019. The son of R.J. and Ruth Norman, he has most of his life lived in Oklahoma, but lived in Amarillo, TX as a child. At the age of 11, he moved back to OKC with his mother and sister Barbara Jo after his dad passed away. They had relatives on both sides. Jim and Barbara began attending a neighborhood Methodist church and both were baptized on an Easter Sunday. Jim was about 13 at that time. Jim was always ready to go fishing at the drop of a hat. He had told JoAnn that his favorite time to commune with God was when he was on a farm pond in a fishing tube, and the only sound was the fishing line hitting the water.

Named for his father, Richard John Jr. He learned well from his grandparents and parents and Jim made family central to his life. He set a fine example as a husband, father and grandfather. He was a graduate of Capitol High School, Class of 1959. He was a 32nd Degree Mason, and participated in the Legion of Honor for 3 years. He traveled to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children multiple times.

Jim is survived by the love of his life and wife of 56 years, Jo Ann, his sons Chad Lewis and Kevin Scott, his “extra” children who married into the family Courtney and Christy, his grandchildren Teegin, Dennon and Max, his sister Barbara Jo Venable and husband Jim, step siblings Sharon Underwood and husband Cliff of San Antonio TX, and David Woodruff of Santa Fe, New Mexico, nephews Trey Dorsey and Tim Dorsey, cousin Richard (Dicky) Norman and a host of friends.

Jim was a very talented artist. Their home is filled with his art. He also had a love for woodworking and he created several pieces of furniture and cabinets for their home as well as outdoor structures. He got his love of woodworking from his dad, who was an amazing sculptor, he could take a block of wood and sculpt a perfect hunting dog figure or duck decoy.

In 1965 Jim entered a contest for the City of Oklahoma City for entrants to design a seal that would be utilized on all official city documents, etc. Although, Jim did not win first place he did come in Second place. The first place seal is still being used to this day.

Jim was employed by an architectural Engineering firm, where he self-taught himself architectural design. During that time – 1966 – he was deferred from the Vietnam War draft because he was working on several government projects as an engineering draftsman. He took advantage of that short deferment and joined the Army Reserves for six years at the 356th Transportation Company in aircraft maintenance in Norman, OK. There he earned the rank of Staff Sergeant and also earned several sharp shooter badges.

In 1977 Jim formed two of his own companies, Creative Construction Inc. and a landscape design company, where he did remodeling for both residential and commercial. He retired in 2016.

More important than all of this was his role as Papa to his grandsons, Teegin(17), Dennon(14) and Max(13). He loved his special “one on one” time with each of them and supported their every accomplishment. Jim was truly a blessed man.