Obituary of Ambrose Norman

Longtime Tacoma resident Ambrose Norman, 69, was surrounded by family and friends when he passed away at home on August 12th of lung cancer. A ceremony and celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, August 21, 2010 at 1 pm at Church of the Indian Fellowship, 2232 24th St E, Tacoma, WA with Rev. Irvin Porter officiating. A reception will follow in the Church basement. The second eldest child of Carlson and Josephine (nee Paniptchuk) Norman, he was born in Unalakleet, Alaska on November 24, 1940. He was raised in Unalakleet and attended school there as well as at Mt. Edgecombe in Sitka. He was a tribal member of the Native Village of Unalakleet, a shareholder of both the Bering Straits Native Corporation and Unalakleet Native Corporation, and a member of the First Evangelical Covenant Church. He excelled at resolving practical needs with clever inventions, some of which were subsequently patented. One such patented invention was an attachable camp oven for use with a Coleman stove. He especially enjoyed watching his grandchildren play, bingo, and baseball as well as family gatherings. Norman’s proudest moments were always with his children Ambrose, Leah, Robert, and Mary. In 1963 he met Cora Long Crane in Los Angeles, CA. They were married for 15 years and had three children. He later had two daughters with Linda Dennis of Anchorage. While living in Tacoma, he met Michelle Kincaid, his partner of 12 years. He accepted her 3 children as well as her grandchildren as his own. He worked for Menasco as an aerospace machinist, the Unalakleet Native Corporation Land Management Department, and the Bering Straits School Distract as a janitor. He is survived by his children Ambrose C. Norman, Leah Walters, Robert Norman, and Mary Dennis, step-children Junieth Hernandez, Shannon Kincaid, and Kirk Kincaid, 9 grandchildren and 11 step-grandchildren, all of Tacoma; sisters Esther Gage and Dolly Kiyutelluk of Anchorage; brother Henry Norman of Chicago; nieces and nephews Josephine Kiyutelluk, Gary Sambo, Darlene (Dalee) Sambo Dorough, Eugene Sambo, Lorraine Sambo, all of Anchorage. He was preceded in death by his parents, daughter Michelle Dennis and his brothers Clarence “Poisey” Norman; Carlson Norman, Jr., and Ullah Norman. The family would like to express their special thanks to Franciscan Hospice; Nurse Navigator of the Puyallup Tribe, Courtney Rohleder; caregiver, Anna Carpio; and his Daughters Leah, Juneith, Mary, and granddaughter Breanna Greene, grandsons Adrian Norman and Joseph Walters for caring for their beloved father and grandfather throughout the last days of his journey.