LEBANON, NH — Norton Terry (1918-2020) passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 102 on October 25, 2020. He is survived by his daughter Barbara Badger of Greene, NY and son Terry Terry of Enfield, NH, six grandchildren, and numerous great and great great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife of 42 years Annie E. Terry and daughter Dorothy Allen. There are no services scheduled. Family and friends who so desire are asked to make donations to the charity of their choice.
Norton was born on October 11th 1918 to Henry Warren Terry, II and Mary Norton Terry in Ossining, NY. He made light of the fact that he grew up 400 feet from the walls of Sing Sing Prison; on the right side of the walls. He was the youngest of four children, Margaret, John, and H. Warren III.
He attended Michigan Technical College and earned a degree in Mining Engineering. As soon as he graduated in 1942, he joined the US Navy as an engineering officer. Initially he was assigned to patrol duties on a converted yacht guarding the east entrance to the Panama Canal. He was later assigned to a new LST (Landing Ship Tank) as the chief engineer. On that ship he participated in the invasions of Normandy and Southern France. His ship landed late on the first day of the invasions and, after discharging their cargo, served as a hospital ship for those wounded in battle. Later he was transferred to another LST and sailed to the Pacific in preparation for the invasion of Japan. At war’s end his LST transported Japanese soldiers from the Truk Islands back home to Japan, he was directly responsible for the health and well being of those individuals.
After the war Norton worked as a mining engineer and superintendent of mines for a number of companies in New York, Vermont, and New Jersey. While in New Jersey in 1950 he met Annie E. Jenkins, a war widow with two young daughters, Barbara, 10, and Dorthy, 8. They fell in love and became engaged. Ever the romantic, he asked her to marry him while they were doing the dishes. She actually accepted on the spot and they married two weeks later. He bought a small diamond ring for each of the girls before giving one to his wife to be. In 1952 their son, Terry, was born.
In the mid 1950s the family moved to Canton, NY and he set up in private practice as a land surveyor. Norton and Annie also set up a commercial white print and photocopy business in their home. In the mid 1960s he was asked to teach a course in surveying at Clarkson College of Technology little knowing that this would be the profession that he would love. He worked at Clarkson until he retired in 1981 as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Land Surveying. The civil engineering students of that time remember him as a firm, fair, demanding instructor that cared for all his students.
He and Annie retired to Athens, TN to a small house. Together they built an addition on to it to make it into their ideal retirement home. After her death in 1992 he moved to Lebanon, NH. He traveled the United States and Canada extensively. He celebrated his 96th birthday in Four Corners during a solo road trip out to see Yosemite National Park. He also developed his artistic passion as a pastel artist. He even taught a few art classes for the senior center and had a art exhibit of his work. He loved passing out small magnets he made with images of his art. He also passed out pictures of his pride and joy. (A photo of a bottle of Pride furniture polish and a bottle Joy liquid soap.) Everyone loved those.
He touched all that knew him with his unique sense of humor, passion for life, and endearing kindness. He was loved and will be missed.