Birth date: Nov 10, 1943 Death date: Aug 24, 2016
Joseph Michael Norbeck, age 72 of Canadian Lakes, MI, loving husband, father and grandfather, passed away on the evening of Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at Spectrum Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids, MI. Joseph was born November Read Obituary
On behalf of the St. James High School Alumni Association and his 1961 classmates, I extend our deepest sympathies and prayers on your loss. On April 23, 2023, the Alumni Association will remember Joseph at their annual Memorial Mass at St. Madeline's Church in Ridley Park, PA. May he rest in peace!
Joe was one of my key mentors in my development as a scientist. He was a tremendous inspiration, and a fun guy to be on a field project with. I remember during our summer of 1983 field program on Laurel Mountain in Pennsylvania, when I was a graduate student at the University of Michigan working with Ford for my Masters thesis research, I talked him into climbing to the top of the 70-foot tower we were taking weather measurements from, and throwing marshmallows to me that I would catch in my mouth. He made a bad throw with the first marshmallow, which bounced off multiple struts. He made a mediocre throw with the second one, which I had trouble tracking, and it whapped into my cheek. He made an excellent toss with the third marshmallow, though, which I was able to catch in my mouth. We then had to take a break, because Joe was laughing too hard to throw any more!
I loved my brother Joe and I will miss him. His passing is a great loss to our family. I am truly blessed to have many wonderful memories with Joe. His laughter and love of life always brought such joy to my heart. I have faith and know that Joe is at peace with God and that I will see him again in heaven.
I remember Dr Norbeck as a person who wanted to give his students every opputunity possible. He took us to international information exchanges, meetings with the board members, investors, scholarship donors, other achedemics. If we had a research desire, he worked as hard as possible to help us achieve it. I am a better engineer, researcher, team member and leader because of Dr Norbeck.
I knew Dr. Norbeck as a student and while interning at CE-CERT. I had him for one class but I remember him more as a mentor who was funny, upbeat, and tough. It was a tough love though, one where he challenged you to do your best. He cared for all students and saw potential where sometimes even a student wouldn’t see it and he gave chances and opportunity to show it.
I remember one time I was walking to the library and as I crossed the street someone honked their horn loud scaring me. Dr. Norbeck was just passing and he pointed two fingers to his eyes with a serious expression and then he pointed to me showing he was keeping an eye on me and then smiled as he drove away. It sums up for me how he was serious, funny, and caring at the same time.
His numerous sayings and recommendations I have carried in my professional growth and shared. As I share these with co-workers I am reminded of him. He will be greatly missed. RIP.
We first met Joe and Sharon when their son and ours played on the same Rec
Dept. 3rd- grade soccer team. As the season progressed, Joe offered his
help to Parke in coaching the team, and the 2 men found they were a great
"fit" in their approach to working with the boys.
This partnership went so well that it continued through the team's 6th-
grade year --- consistently producing winning seasons, and affording all the
adults increasing opportunities to get together socially.
It wasn't long before the Norbeck house became the hub for many great
parties and evenings of spirited games. Sharon never failed to pull
together wonderful things to eat to sustain us through our rivalries, and
all the boys swarmed their yard and basement while their parents gave the
competition their "all."
This was around the time of the Trivial Pursuit craze, and no one was more
competitive than Joe and Sharon when the teams divided into "the Men vs. the
Ladies"! Winning was serious business. These board game battles became
cut-throat to the point Joe and Sharon each guarded their box of question
cards with ferocity --- lest the opposing team steal a look at the upcoming
answers. I'm not sure where they each hid their respective boxes, but it
wouldn't surprise me if they slept with them under their pillows!
Perhaps our favorite party Sharon and Joe hosted was a Murder Mystery Dinner
set in the Roaring 20's. All details of the party and the crime were part
of a packaged set one could buy in the bookstore at that time, and we went
all out, dressing in costumes of the era, with Sharon serving the
prescribed meal as we prepared to solve this heinous crime...
The most comical part of the evening, however, was that instead of
discovering the killer, we discovered that some of the clues had not been
included in the package! So if you had been shopping at Briarwood that
evening, you would have spotted about a dozen anachronistic adults decked
out in fringes and baubles, making a determined march to the bookstore to
retrieve the missing clues before the mall closed!
In recent years, we and the Norbecks have shared the rise and fall of the
fortunes of the Michigan basketball and football teams by texting and
emailing cross-country, and on the rare occasion, watching a televised game
together. Although they were always Big Red fans, the Blue could always
count on Joe and Sharon's unflagging enthusiasm, even in the most
disheartening of times.
It's impossible to think of Joe and Sharon separately --- They're one of
those couples whose sum is even greater than its parts. And we will never
think of Joe without recalling that so-infectious (and definitely
mischievous) sense of humor and picturing that great grin... and of course,
smiling to ourselves.
Joe is surely now sharing those great stories about sports, fishing lures,
the upside-down St.Joseph statue, and my brother's dog psychologist with all
the good folks on high. Thanks for all the laughter, Joe... We'll miss you.
We first met Joe and Sharon when their son and ours played on the same Rec
Dept. 3rd- grade soccer team. As the season progressed, Joe offered his
help to Parke in coaching the team, and the 2 men found they were a great
"fit" in their approach to working with the boys.
This partnership went so well that it continued through the team's 6th-
grade year --- consistently producing winning seasons, and affording all the
adults increasing opportunities to get together socially.
It wasn't long before the Norbeck house became the hub for many great
parties and evenings of spirited games. Sharon never failed to pull
together wonderful things to eat to sustain us through our rivalries, and
all the boys swarmed their yard and basement while their parents gave the
competition their "all."
This was around the time of the Trivial Pursuit craze, and no one was more
competitive than Joe and Sharon when the teams divided into "the Men vs. the
Ladies"! Winning was serious business. These board game battles became
cut-throat to the point Joe and Sharon each guarded their box of question
cards with ferocity --- lest the opposing team steal a look at the upcoming
answers. I'm not sure where they each hid their respective boxes, but it
wouldn't surprise me if they slept with them under their pillows!
Perhaps our favorite party Sharon and Joe hosted was a Murder Mystery Dinner
set in the Roaring 20's. All details of the party and the crime were part
of a packaged set one could buy in the bookstore at that time, and we went
all out, dressing in costumes of the era, with Sharon serving the
prescribed meal as we prepared to solve this heinous crime...
The most comical part of the evening, however, was that instead of
discovering the killer, we discovered that some of the clues had not been
included in the package! So if you had been shopping at Briarwood that
evening, you would have spotted about a dozen anachronistic adults decked
out in fringes and baubles, making a determined march to the bookstore to
retrieve the missing clues before the mall closed!
In recent years, we and the Norbecks have shared the rise and fall of the
fortunes of the Michigan basketball and football teams by texting and
emailing cross-country, and on the rare occasion, watching a televised game
together. Although they were always Big Red fans, the Blue could always
count on Joe and Sharon's unflagging enthusiasm, even in the most
disheartening of times.
It's impossible to think of Joe and Sharon separately --- They're one of
those couples whose sum is even greater than its parts. And we will never
think of Joe without recalling that so-infectious (and definitely
mischievous) sense of humor and picturing that great grin... and of course,
smiling to ourselves.
Joe is surely now sharing those great stories about sports, fishing lures,
the upside-down St.Joseph statue, and my brother's dog psychologist with all
the good folks on high. Thanks for all the laughter, Joe... We'll miss you.
