Longtime Gadsden Times reporter, beloved columnist Darrell Norman dies at 83
A memorial service for longtime Gadsden Times reporter and columnist Darrell Norman is set for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at Wilson Funeral Home and Crematory in Fort Payne.
Norman, 83, of Fort Payne, died Tuesday.
He worked at the Huntsville Times and the Times Journal in Fort Payne before joining The Times’ staff, where he reported mostly from DeKalb County, although he also covered stories in Etowah and Marshall counties.
However, Norman may be remembered more — and certainly is more beloved by his readers — for the hundreds of columns he wrote first for DeKalb Neighbors, an offshoot of The Times, and then for The Times itself. He continued the column after retiring as a news writer.
A collection of his best work, “Have Another Cup,” was published in 2017, the name reflecting how he described his column in his final offering in 2014: “A friendly chat over coffee.”
Norman wrote in his farewell column, “My editors never told me what to write or not to write. I enjoyed the freedom of an aimless walkabout and often did not know where it would lead until words began to show up on my screen. Then I chased them down, loosely strung them together and let them express whatever was on my mind and in my heart.”
He shared tales of the wildlife and seasonal signs he saw through the window of the Mentone cabin he occupied for years; of Valentina, his beloved Volkswagen bus, which he took on antiquing trips; of personal and family highs and lows.
Norman scoffed at the Alabama-Auburn rivalry in one column, noting that he “lacked the fan gene” and was uninterested in either team. That changed when his grandson, Alex McPherson, became a kicker for the Auburn Tigers.
He also shared experiences and adventures from a life that was interesting and colorful beyond journalism.
A native of Trafford, a coal mining town in Jefferson County and a graduate of Warrior High School, Norman spent 21 years in the U.S. Air Force, during the Cold War era, retiring as a Senior Master Sergeant. He became fluent in the Russian language after study at Syracuse University and a tour in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. He recalled in a column visiting the grave of Boris Pasternak, author of “Doctor Zhivago,” in the Soviet Union.
He lived on a small farm after leaving the military, then earned a degree from, and later taught remedial English at, the University of Alabama at Huntsville before turning to journalism.
“Darrell was a consummate professional in covering the news," said Times Editor Greg Bailey. “He was a diligent reporter and superb writer. His columns reflected his unique view of life and the world around him, presented in a way where for his fans, it was like a weekly visit with a neighbor.”
Norman is survived by daughter Amber McPherson (LaDon); grandsons Logan (Madison), Evan (Gracie), and Alex McPherson; great-grandson Brooks McPherson; wife Brenda, brother Jack Norman (Sue); and nephew Bryan Norman (Penny).
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Reporter, columnist Darrell Norman dies at 83
