Anderson "Andy" Hassell Norton II

Anderson Hassell Norton II, or “Andy” as he was known by friends and family, passed peacefully on Saturday, December 15, 2018, in Roswell, New Mexico. Please take a moment and share a fond memory or kind expression of sympathy for Andy’s family at www.andersonbethany.com. Preceded: He was called to rejoin his loving wife, Sally; as well as his parents, William and Georgette Norton; two brothers, Kenneth and Frank Norton; and two sisters, Gayle Heckman, and Dorothy Santry. Survivors: Andy is survived by a sister, Vera Bryan of Fresno, CA; four daughters: Sharon Butler of Tucson, AZ, Pam Poulsen and husband Brian of Fresno, CA, Gayle Thompsen of Cave Creek, AZ, and Kristen Norton of Fresno, CA; two grandchildren, Travis Butler and wife, Yanping, of Honolulu, HI, and Lisa Thompsen of San Jose, CA; and one great-granddaughter, Amy Butler, of Honolulu, HI. Andy graduated from Austin High School in El Paso, Texas in 1947. He went on to receive a commission in the United States Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant. His career in the Air Force as a navigator included leading the Standardization Evaluation Division as a Senior Officer and training new officers in the Strategic Air Command for the KC-135 aircraft. He retired from the Air Force in 1971 as a Lieutenant Colonel, and then went on to earn a B.S. in Animal Science from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces in 1974. Following his graduation, Andy pursued a second career with the New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau as the Area Organizational Director, where he met many good cowboys and made lifelong friends. During this time, Andy was also honored by then-Governor of New Mexico, Bruce King, for his outstanding service to New Mexico’s farming and ranching communities. Following his retirement from Farm Bureau in 1992, Andy became an avid golfer and was honored to receive Golfer of the Year at the Elks Club during a Wounded Warrior Event. Andy was active in his community and church, serving as an usher for the First Methodist Church and helping to form their Caring Ministries program, which assisted senior members of the church in many different ways. Service: A private burial service will be held at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Cowboy Bell Scholarship Fund at First United Methodist Church or to the Wounded Warriors Project. Andy’s tribute was lovingly written in his honor by his family.

Anderson "Andy" Hassell Norton II

July 12, 1929 - December 15, 2018