*Richard Norby ’43
*Richard G. Norby died peacefully among friends and family at his home at Waverly Gardens in North Oaks, Minn. on March 3, 2015, following a brief illness at age 93. Born in Fergus Falls, Minn., he was the youngest of six children of Joseph and Minnie Norby. Richard grew up on Portland Avenue South in Minneapolis and was confirmed at Bethlehem Lutheran. He attended Shorewood High School in Milwaukee, where he began his careers in science and hockey. He played hockey for St. Olaf College and completed his pre-med studies in 1943. He played hockey at the University of Minnesota and received his medical degree in 1946 in connection with his enlistment in the US Army, after turning down a draft offer from the Detroit Red Wings. He served two years as a captain with a hospital unit in Hokkaido, Japan. He returned to the States as a medical resident at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cleveland, where he encountered nursing student Marjorie Jean St. Clair, of Newton Falls, Ohio, sneaking out of the women’s dorm after hours. The transgression was overlooked and Marjorie and Richard were married in Newton Falls on Sept.15, 1951. The couple moved to New Orleans to complete a residency at Charity Hospital. Pending the birth of Karin, they moved back to Cleveland, where Marjorie was a public health nurse and Richard developed a private practice in Internal Medicine at St. Luke’s Hospital and later at Hillcrest, with teaching duties at Case Western Reserve Medical School. Richard coached generations of young hockey players at the Cleveland Skating Club, and found time to play with the big guys after hours. After raising their three children in Cleveland Heights, Chagrin Falls, and Conneaut Lake, Pa., Richard and Marjorie “retired” to Venice, Fla. in 1980, where Marjorie sold real estate and Richard continued his medical practice at Venice Hospital, later Bon Secours. He moved back to his beloved Minnesota in 2008 and lived out his days enjoying the dramatic changes of seasons at Waverly Gardens, where he continued to practice kindness and consideration, if not some off the record medicine. Though he has signed out here for the last time, he will be at the hospital in Heaven tomorrow at 6:00 am sharp, ready to care for anyone still in need. Richard was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Maurice; sisters, Constance Norby Nasby ’40 and husband A. Gordon Nasby ’31, Helen Norby Thompson ’34, and Alice Norby Behrents ’38 and husband E. G. Behrents ’36; sister-in-law, Dorothy Erickson Norby ’37; niece, Carol Nasby Kaehler ’64 P ’94; wife, Marjorie St. Clair Norby; and son, Erik. He is survived by his brother, Paul Norby ’36, Rear Admiral, Ret.; his daughter, Karin Norby Mathews ’74; son, Thomas Norby ’83 and wife Mary Burns Norby ’85; grandchildren, Jonathan Richard “JR” Mathews, Matthew Norby, Megan Norby ’15, Connor Norby, and Kevin Mathews; and many well-loved in-laws, nieces, and nephews, including Mary Nasby Lohre ’69 P ’95 ’99 and husband John Lohre ’67 P ’95 ’99, Elizabeth Nasby Maland ’75 P ’02 ’05 ’11, David Nasby ’62 P ’86 and wife Karen Lillehaugen Nasby ’62 P ’86, Connie Behrents Ferris ’72, Rolf “Buzz” Behrents ’69, Alice Behrents Hendricks ’66, Richard Thompson ’62, and Peter Thompson ’62 P ’92 ’95 ’99 and wife Susan Svidal Thompson ’67 P ’92 ’95 ’99.
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