Norman E. Rockwell

Norman E. Rockwell, age 76, local commercial contractor and real estate developer was a former Baldwin resident. Norman Edwin Rockwell who founded and headed Northern Chesapeake Builders Corp. for 43 years died of cancer on Thursday December 13, 2007 at his home in Saint Michaels, Maryland. Born in Martinsburg, West Virginia to Alonza and Helen Rockwell (nee Kesecker) and raised in the Belair Edison area of east Baltimore. He was a graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. In 1952 Mr. Rockwell married Joanne Talkemeier and had three children. While working for local builder, S. Elmer Armiger, and raising a family, Mr. Rockwell attended night school at Johns Hopkins University earning an Engineering Degree. “Except weekends we did not see my father other than at dinner during his school years because he would leave for work at the crack of dawn, come home for dinner and a shower then leave for school, not getting home until after we were asleep” said his son Norman E. Rockwell, Jr. Mr. Rockwell next went to work for The Rouse Company and was put in charge of commercial construction projects such as malls and shopping centers. His employment with Rouse involved travel for projects up and down the east coast including major projects in Pittsburg, Pa. and Charlotte, NC. In 1964 Mr. Rockwell started Northern Chesapeake Builders Corp., a commercial general contracting firm specializing in office, warehouse and shopping center construction. He was involved in much of the construction in the early days of Columbia, the Rouse Company’s planned community in Howard County, Maryland. Mr. Rockwell lost his beloved wife on June 30, 1983, also to cancer. Following the experience he had while his wife was undergoing treatment in Philadelphia, Mr. Rockwell conceived and built the Joanne Rockwell Memorial House, a ten unit residential facility that serves as a “home away from home” for cancer patients and their families who are undergoing treatment at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. This facility was donated to Hopkins and it was built on land provided by the hospital. This house remained his proudest achievement right up to his death. He was a regular at the YMCA and Downtown Athletic Club where his basketball game would challenge the youngest players. In 1981, Mr. Rockwell ran in the Baltimore City Marathon and finished the 26 miles in 4 hr. at the tender age of 50. In May, 2007, he was still playing racquet ball at the Merritt Athletic Club. Norman had many interests particularly basketball and tennis and was ready for a game just about any time. In addition to sports, he was an avid reader, particularly of the Civil War and World Wars I & II. In 1972 Mr. Rockwell built a home near St. Michaels and decided the best way to avoid traffic was to fly, he put in the hours required and obtained his pilots license in three months. His first airplane was a 1972 Cessna Skyhawk and currently flew a 1980 Piper Arrow. He flew many trips to Florida and the Bahamas. At his home in St. Michaels, Norman enjoyed fishing and crabbing and could fix the best soft crabs in his 18” fry pan that would hold a dozen soft crabs. Mr. Rockwell remained on his own for many years until he met Stephanie Keech of Oxford, Maryland. They were married in Shepherdstown, WV, November 17, 2007. Mr. Rockwell is survived by his wife Stephanie Rockwell; son Norman E. Rockwell, Jr. and his wife Deborah T. Rockwell; son David C. Rockwell and his wife Kathie M. Rockwell; and daughter Susan Rockwell and her partner Gary Fairbank. Also surviving are 12 grandchildren, Sarah, Laura, Norman III, Elizabeth, Emily, Mark, Jason, Christopher, Katelyn, Meghan, Joanne and Paul and four great grandchildren, Abbey, Sam, Will and James. A sister, Mary Ellen Bartlett, of Severna Park, MD survives him. Brother Joe Rockwell passed away March 16, 2001 Also surviving are many nieces and nephews from the Chesapeake Bay area to Australia. Mr. Rockwell’s secretary, Mary Pearce, who has worked for him for over 40 years, says life at 7307 York Road just won’t be the same and the many neighbors at Sussex and York Road will keep watching for the man with the newspapers and the white Maltese dog, Schubert. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Joanne Rockwell Memorial House, 1910 E. Jefferson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205. A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 5, 2008 at 1 p.m. at The Johns Hopkins Club, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland. Please respond to: 443-287-2541. For directions and further information go to: www.hopkinskimmelcancercenter.org