Norman Courvoisier
January 22, 1921 — December 10, 2014
Norman was baptized into Christian faith on May 8, 1921. He lived his first seven years in Mascoutah, IL. After living briefly in Texas, the family moved to the St. Louis area where they joined Bethesda Lutheran Church in Pine Lawn. He attended Bethesda Lutheran School. He was confirmed there.
His father Fred was a jeweler who specialized in clock and watchmaking. When World
War 2 came, Norman enlisted in the Navy in April 1942. Because of his watchmaking background, he was assigned to be an aircraft instrument technician. He served with the Carrier Aircraft Service Unit in the Solomon Islands. When he returned to the U.S., he was stationed in Los Alamitos, CA.
While at a Walther League meeting at First Lutheran Church in Long Beach, he met Norma Oberjuerge. They were married on July 26, 1946, in St. Louis, where they lived five years before returning to California. Wes and Gwen were born in St. Louis, and Janice was born in Long Beach.
In St Louis Norman worked for McDonnell Aircraft as an instrument technician for nearly
5 years. After moving to California, he worked for North American Aviation (later Rockwell, then Boeing) in Downey for nearly 30 years. At North American he worked on the Saturn Program and the Apollo Program as well as the B1 Bomber program and other projects. He received a commendation, The Apollo Achievement Award from NASA for helping put the first man on the moon with Apollo 11.
In 1952 the Courvoisiers joined Bethany Lutheran Church in Long Beach where Norman became an active member serving in several leadership positions and support ministries. He was sent as a delegate to the synodical convention in Cleveland in 1962 where the proposal was passed to start Christ College in California (Concordia University Irvine).
In retirement he and Norma enjoyed cruising with family and friends. Norman was committed to making regular donations of blood and platelets to the American Red Cross. He considered his greatest blessings to be his marriage to Norma and having a Christian family that values Lutheran education. His children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren have attended or are attending Lutheran schools.
Norman is survived by his wife of 68 years, Norma; son and daughter-in-law, Wes and Elinor, and their children Jeff (Amanda) great grandsons Nathan and Micah, Mark (Rochelle), and Kevin (Laura) Courvoisier; daughter and son-in-law, Gwen and Mark Saxlund; daughter Janice, and her children Thomas and Laura; sister-in-law, Sally Oberjuerge; seven nephews and four nieces. He was preceded in death by his sister, Alice Jane Haegar and childhood friend Dr. Paul Phipps.
He is lovingly remembered by family and friends as a child of God, thankful for his many blessings, and for his unwavering faith in his Savior.
Our family would like to acknowledge the loving and tender care the staff at Alamitos Belmont Rehabilitation Hospital gave to our husband and dad
Arrangements under the direction of Luyben-Dilday Mortuary, Long Beach, CA.
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