Norman Hodgkins

AUGUSTA – Norman Hodgkins, 92, passed away peacefully on the night of Sept. 10, 2024. Norm was a kind, gentle, loyal, genuine, patient, and honest man with a quiet, dry sense of humor. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

Norm is survived by his wife of almost 61 years, Ruth; daughter Nancy, son, Glenn (wife Sara); granddaughter, Anna, and grandson, Ben (fiancé Naomi).

Norman Spear Hodgkins was born on Dec. 20, 1931, in Albany, N.Y. to Mary Spear Hodgkins and Herbert Hodgkins. He graduated from Colby College in Waterville in 1953 as a Physics major and after a year learning meteorology at the University of Wisconsin, he served as a meteorologist in the Air Force in Fairbanks, Alaska. Norm flew in the front-gunner position on modified bombers near the Arctic Circle on missions looking for airborne residue from Russian nuclear tests. He then studied arctic meteorology for a year at the Navy research facility in Norfolk, Va. After this, he started work as a forecaster at the National Weather Bureau in Boston, Mass. where he was given the nickname ‘Stormin Norman’ for his love of a good winter storm.

It was at a group for young adults at Old South Church in Boston, Mass. where he met the love of his life, Ruth, a nurse, who he impressed by, among other feats, preparing a lobster dinner for the group. Norm married Ruth Anne Morgan on Sept. 21, 1963, at Martha Mary Chapel in Sudbury, Mass. Norm and family were able to escape to Maine a few years later. In 1971, he discovered an old “winterized” house on a dead-end camp road on Sebago Lake in Standish; it was a scenic and peaceful place for Norm and Ruth to raise their family. They retired to Lovell in 1988, where Norm designed and they built a house in the wooded foothills looking at South Baldface Mountain. They made many friends through the Lovell United Church of Christ.

Norm was cutting enough wood to heat their house until his mid-80s but his dementia became severe enough that he moved to the Maine Veterans Home in Augusta in 2016 and Ruth moved to Manchester. He very much enjoyed Ruth’s regular visits and the kind staff. Weeks before his death, he was still producing weather forecasts and could reminisce about the details of his time in Alaska.

Norm had a quest for learning and for spreading kindness. Being very affable and warmhearted, he made friends wherever he went. He was the unofficial greeter at Rosie’s diner in Lovell for years. He had many joys in his life, including baseball, deer and partridge hunting, fishing for land-locked salmon and brook trout, and exploring dirt roads, almost always with a Springer Spaniel at this side. He was happy spending a lot of time plowing and maintaining their half-mile-long dirt road. Other favorite interests included liberal Christian theology and cribbage. Norm’s taste for the outdoors and exploring took him and his family to a camping trip around Lake Superior and housekeeping cottages on Vinalhaven and Grand Manan; these trips created memories that will last a lifetime for his family. Norm loved the companionship of his series of dogs for 50 years; we envision them greeting him with wags and kisses on the next stage of his journey.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the staff at the Maine Veterans Home in Augusta for their compassion and care for Norm.

There will be a Celebration of Life for Norm in November.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Norm’s honor can be sent to

Lovell United Church of Christ,

P.O. Box 232,

Lovell, ME 04051