In Memoriam: Charles R. Norman, 1930 – 2023

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Charles R. Norman, a generous benefactor and friend of Thomas Aquinas College, who passed away on October 2. 

For over 70 years, Mr. Norman owned and operated Norman's Nursery, one of the premier wholesale nurseries in California. “This work was his pride and joy,” his published obituary notes. “He dedicated himself to it, reviewing sales and inventory reports even in his final days.” A shrewd businessman, he nevertheless made room for charity, donating many thousands of flowers, plants, and trees to various Catholic institutions over the years — including Thomas Aquinas College. 

“Mr. Norman had been donating plants to the College since around 2006,” says Benedict Coughlin, landscape projects supervisor on the California campus. “His first donation included flowers and trees for gardens around Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel.” That initial gift was followed by yearly contributions of tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of plants. The remarkable beauty of the California campus — which Sir Anthony Hopkins once compared to “Shangri La” — would be unthinkable without Mr. Norman’s kindness.

His humility was equal to his kindness. “One of the conditions for his donations was that we not recognize him with a public plaque,” says Mr. Coughlin. “He wanted to be a silent benefactor.” These self-effacing tendencies extended further than aversion to the public eye. Says Karim Obagi, executive director of development, “Mr. Norman often said, ‘I get a lot of credit, but it’s not right. The credit belongs to the folks who work for us, because they do all the hard work.’” 

“Charles Norman was a quiet soul who, like St. Joseph, dedicated himself to his family, to his work, and to the good of the Church,” says College President Paul J. O’Reilly. “His generosity and the hard work of the staff at Norman’s Nursery have made Thomas Aquinas College a fittingly beautiful haven for the pursuit of the truth. We pray for the repose of his soul and for the consolation of his family: may he soon see the face of the truth his kindness helps our students seek.”