Norman Ewing Waite passed away on Feb. 21, 2020, at the age of 91.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Tres Hewell Mortuary. Funeral services will be conducted on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 10 a.m. at Friedens United Church of Christ with Revs. Dave and Sonja Phillips officiating. Interment will follow at the Lone Oak Cemetery.
Norman was born on May 2, 1928, to Elon and Veda Ewing Waite in the Town of Sugar Creek. He grew up on the family dairy farm and attended Jackson School. In the winter he enjoyed skiing, ice-skating and ice boating. In his freshman year he began attending Elkhorn High School and graduated in 1946.
His first private enterprise business was buying a New Holland hay baler to do custom baling. In 1953, he purchased his own plane, a Taylorcraft. In 1955, he received his Commercial License, Flight Instructor License and his Instrument License. He sold his Taylorcraft when he was hired by Illini Airlines, Inc. In 1955 he was hired as an instructor by the Illini Flight School and also flew charter and scheduled flights for Illini Airlines Inc.
In 1957 he moved to San Marcos, Texas, and began employment with William J. Graham & Son Inc., a United States Army Primary Pilot Training School at Camp Gary in San Marcos. In 1958 he received his Airlines Transport Rating. On a Saturday night in the summer of 1957 he met Annette Boeing at a dance in Landa Park in New Braunfels. They were married by the Rev. Raymond F. Buck, Jr., at Friedens Church on April 25, 1959. They lived in Geronimo where their home was flooded in 1998. They then moved to Seguin in 2000.
In 1959-60 he flew for Westair Air Transport. In 1961 he began work with Dixie Form and Steel as their pilot. In 1964 he was employed with Ewing-Records until 1974 and was then associated with Composite Structures and with A. E. Fryre and Associates International Mfg. Co. and then with Medalist Low Cost Forms. In 1985 Norman began employment with Tolle Mfg. Co. in Marion, and in 1986 he purchased the company. In 1992 Tolle Mfg. Co. and the company became Tolle FASSCO. The company then purchased Shaw Mfg. and changed the name to FASSCO. In 1997 with the purchase of Taprite, FASSCO became Taprite-FASSCO Mfg. Inc.
He retired in 1998 but remained chairman of the board until the company sold to Aalberts of The Netherlands. In February of 1998 Norman purchased his Beechcraft Debonair in East Troy. Throughout the years he enjoyed flying to Wisconsin, New Mexico and various places in Texas. In 2012 he sold his plane. He had flown for 66 years.
Norman had served on the Friedens Church Council and on various church committees throughout the years. He enjoyed meeting with his coffee group at the Dairy Queen on Court Street. They then decided to meet at the Whataburger and later with his wife and friends at the Court Street McDonald’s.
He also enjoyed volunteering at the Texas Agricultural Education, Heritage Center. Norman began volunteering his time for the Texas Agriculture Education and Heritage Center in 2003. Being raised on a farm he enjoyed it there. He especially loved visiting with fellow pilots around “The Table of Knowledge” at the New Braunfels Regional Airport.
He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Annette; his children, Sara Waite, Andrea Waite, Eric Waite (Virginia Annette.) Also surviving are his brother and sister-in-law, Jerry and Betty Waite.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers and sisters-in-law, Richard and Mary Ellen Waite and Loren and Harriet Waite.
Memorial contributions may be made to: Friedens United Church of Christ, 2555 Friedens Church Road, Seguin, Texas 78155.
Arrangements are under the direction on Tres Hewell Mortuary, 165 Tor Dr., Seguin, Texas.
