Obituary of Norman Strout

Norman Woodleigh Strout passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving children, on April 19, 2008 in his family home after a courageous battle with Alzheimer's disease.� A longtime resident of Pendleton, New York, Norman was born on August 24, 1919 in Hartland, Maine, to the late Robert and Isabelle Catherine Scott Strout, and brother to Robert who predeceased him. He graduated from Hartland Academy in 1938, and then he attended Airplane Mechanics College in Lincoln, Nebraska, earning a degree in Aerospace Mechanics. During wartime he joined a dynamic team of engineers who constructed airplanes for the war effort at Bell Aerospace in Niagara Falls, New York. It was there that he met Mary Melissa Leighton, whom he married on August 22, 1943 and remained devoted to even after her death on January 3, 2008. Together, Norman and Mary had six children; infant Mary and John Frederick preceded them in death, Andrew Leighton of Norman, Oklahoma, David Norman of Pendleton, Melissa Levey of Queens, and Catherine Waring of Ypsilanti, Michigan. He is also survived by sixteen grandchildren and twenty great grandchildren. In 1949, Norman began his career at NYSE&G, where he continued to work and advance until his retirement in 1979. He maintained a reputation for being the earliest to arrive and consequently was responsible for opening the shop. He was dedicated, hardworking, kind and generous, always volunteering to help others in need. He had a wonderful sense of humor and he loved jokes of all kinds. Also a story teller, he would frequently shock his children with tales of his first smoke (pine needles wrapped in newspaper), or of speeding his car through Hartland, or of his Down East buddies, using his "Nawthen" accent and coarse language. Norman loved nature. He was a very active man, and he was happiest when he could be outdoors, farming, gardening or fishing. An avid fisherman, he would wake up long before the sun rose, to prepare for an outing on a lake. He preferred fishing with his neighbor or with friends from the area, but occasionally he would invite a son or a daughter to join him for this early morning Zen like experience.� In more recent years, he and Mary would spend summers on Oneida Lake with their beloved dogs.� Subsequently they began traveling extensively together throughout the Northeast and Southeast in their RV. Eventually they discovered the Southwest and enjoyed many adventures there, but never without the company of a dog or two. A devoted husband, loving father, and loyal friend, Norman will be missed by his family, his friends and his community. A memorial celebration will be held in June 2008. As an expression of sympathy, in memoriam contributions to the Alzheimer's Association or to Niagara County Hospice would be appreciated.