William Norrington

Tribute

Bill loved butterflies, rainbows and clouds, flowers, cats, birds, amphibians, and fish & ocean creatures. And he loved words - and shared his varied thoughts by crafting them in stories, letters, and weekly Blogs. It is fitting that his last blog told of butterflies and flowers. Humor and angst were topics too. Crafting an April Fools' story or writing about a trick he played on younger sisters and daughters of friends were part of the fun; a fake rat delighted his tenants' daughters. Past regrets and painful ailments were shared too…along with thoughts on life and death. Val, his wife and partner, won his heart in Isla Vista, Calif. What followed were over 54 years of adventures as entrepreneurs, first in candle making (crafted in rainy Wales) then in artful leather works. (Their work and Bill’s writings can be viewed on their web page Candles in the Rain, soon to be reposted). Val was the artist, and Bill was happy to share the work. They traveled to places around the world (Australia, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Africa, Russia, and more) and sold at fairs, stores & online. Growing up as “Navy Brats”, Bill and his sisters Linda & Gael moved often, living in many parts of the country (notably CA, VA, New Mexico, & Hawaii). Their mom held down the ship when dad was out to sea, and they learned their role was to be seen but not heard (for Bill: don’t ever risk getting caught by the admiral throwing cherry bombs into the closed pool area! ). Moves across country always included stops in Missouri to visit their grandmother’s farm. Memories of playing on haystacks in the barn, chasing fireflies, and mischief with maternal cousins were often shared. National park visits and Dad taking the “scenic route” along the way remain special. Fishing for trout was the goal on family camping and Sierra mountain backpack trips. In Hawaii, Bill learned to fish with a spear gun but also collected reef fish for his tanks and the Honolulu aquarium. In his last year, pier fishing with crab pots had to do, but his true love was fly fishing. Bill was an Eagle Scout, captain of a teen basketball team, and a Sci-Fi nerd. His childhood pet was a parakeet, but spiders, lizards & snakes were not strangers in his room. A butterfly collection decorated his walls, along with a Disneyland shrunken head and a boomerang. Cats and plants shared his adult homes. Bill was a good student. He won scholarships for Punahou High School in Hawaii and then for Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Finding calculus a challenge, he switched to language and literature studies and pursued them - getting a master's degree and passing his doctorate orals at UCSB. Moving to Val’s homeland, they bought an old Smithy in Nantglyn, Wales - making needed renovations while building a thriving business. Warmer weather drew them back to California, where Bill also worked at UC Santa Barbara. Friends and family recall his gift with words, his curiosity, honesty, generosity, and wit. We miss him. 🦋

Friends & Family