Norman J. Webber

November 20, 1918 – December 26, 2016, age 98, passed away peacefully on Monday. Norman leaves his son and daughter-in-law, Jay and Vickie Webber, grandchildren, Dustin (Allison) Webber, Casey Webber and Chad Webber. Norman was preceded in death by his wife, Arietta and two brothers Searcy Webber and Hal Webber.

Born in Hickory KY, Norman grew up on a farm with his brothers. There he found hard work, a strong family and his athleticism. He became a well-known baseball pitcher in the area and landed a contract to play with the St Louis Browns in 1941. Pearl Harbor happened and as many Americans did, Norman chose to enter the military rather than play ball. Along with his two brothers, he left to fight in World War II. He served in the Army military police in the 772 Military Police Battalion on the west coast at Fort Lewis, Washington ending his career in the special service on the east coast in Philadelphia. Along the way, he married his bride of more than fifty years, Arietta Wallis (Rhet).

After the war, Norman and Arietta moved to St Louis where he found work at the McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Company as a Machine Parts Inspector and as a storied fast pitch softball pitcher for the company team. Norman went on to work on the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo Space Program. While working on the Mercury capsule, he was instrumental in the engineering, fabrication and inspection of the first window ever placed in a space craft allowing for the first views and pictures of earth being taken from space by John Glenn and others. He retired from Mac in 1981 after 31 years and moved to Kentucky Lake where he and Arietta had grown up. While there, he enjoyed the outdoors immensely boating and fishing on Kentucky Lake. His biggest passion however was the 28 years he worked at the Kentucky Dam Village Golf Course as a volunteer. Needless to say he got very good at his golf game. In fact, he liked to tell people about him shooting his age at 89!!

Arietta passed away in 1998 and after some time, Norman moved backed to St Louis in 2009 settling in Wentzville next to his son and daughter-in-law, where he enjoyed visiting with his grandsons, neighbors, friends, the outdoors and watching sports.

In 2016, Norman moved into Delmar Gardens on the Green in Ballwin where he enjoyed activities and all his new found friends.

Norman never met a person that he didn’t like and couldn’t share a story or a joke with. He was the most perfect example of a friend, father and grandfather that anyone has ever seen. He loved his family more than life itself and tirelessly cared for them in so many ways.

Dad taught so many life lessons to all around him especially those that were lucky enough to live around him. The ability to treat everyone you know and meet with kindness and compassion is something we all strive for by his examples, not worrying so much about the small things in life and enjoying family and friends instead, was another.

Norman spent his 98 years making the world such a better place, we will miss him so very dearly but God has another mission for him and Heaven just got a new starting pitcher!!

Burial with Honors at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery will take place, Friday, December 30, 2016 at 11:30 a.m. Please arrive 15 minutes early for procession.

No need for flowers, that’s the small stuff that Dad told us not to sweat….