Faye Norman Cornog, 95, of Springfield, Illinois, passed away early Thursday morning, September 19, 2024 at Memorial Health. Faye was born October 15, 1928 in Wilkes County, North Carolina. She was one of four children, also the only girl, born to Thomas Roy Norman and Sarah Denny Norman.
When she was younger, she worked in the tobacco fields, which was hard labor. When she grew old enough to work, she began working on an assembly line in a cigarette factory in Winston Salem. After leaving North Carolina, Faye moved to Atlanta, where she became a secretary. She moved to Chicago after her time in Atlanta. She met Geoff, the love of her life, as well as many friends in Chicago. They moved to Athens, GA, for Geoff to continue his studies at UGA. Faye and Geoff married on April 20, 1964 in Athens.
Eventually they moved to Springfield, Illinois. She did not work in Springfield; instead, she began to enjoy spending lots of time with his two boys, Douglas and Clay. The family enjoyed going on trips, exploring the outdoors, and caring for each other and the family dog. Geoff and Faye enjoyed gazing at the stars and studying astronomy.
Faye enjoyed gardening, walking her dog (in which she had many- Amos and Sheba being most recent), and traveling. She loved giving back to her community, neighborhood, and other organizations like the Lincoln Memorial Gardens, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, the ACLU, Illinois Public Radio, PBS, St. Jude’s, and the American Lung Association, to name a few.
Faye had a fondness for reading about history, socializing with friends in Springfield and on the lane, entertaining with Geoff for Sagamon State University colleagues, and hosting other friends from other parts of the country and world. She was very creative- playing the piano, mandolin, and guitar, as well as taking up painting and photography. Faye was a woman of elegance, wit, and refinement. She will be remembered for her love, warmth, and kindness for everyone she met and for her distinct way to leave a place better than she found it.
Faye is survived by her loving brother Benny Norman (Melissa); nephew Gary Thomas Norman (Linda); nephew James Lee Norman (Belinda, Sierra), niece Susan Norman Eads (Udell); and great niece Blair Eads. Faye is preceded by husband Geoffrey Y. Cornog, 73 (sons Douglas and Clay), brother Claude Thomas Norman, 91 (Dorothy, Ann), and brother Paul Norman, 95 (Jean), as well as many other friends and family.
The family will receive friends from 4 pm - 6 pm, Thursday, October 10, 2024 at Bisch Funeral Home, 2931 S Koke Mill Rd, Springfield, IL, 62711. Burial services will be held at Camp Butler National Cemetery on Friday, October 11,2024 at 2 pm, 5063 Camp Butler Rd., Springfield, IL, 62707. The family requests that memorial contributions be made to Lincoln Memorial Gardens or any organization of your choosing and condolences may be left at www.bischfuneralhomewest.com.
