Ronald Wayne "Hard" Norman

Ronald Wayne "Hard" Norman, 63, of Valdese, NC died Tuesday, September 17, 2013 at the Burke Palliative Care Center. Born in Burke County, NC on December 18, 1949, he was the son of the late William Lee Norman and Betty Geneva Pritchard Norman. Hard was a member of Riverside Baptist Church. He graduated from Oak Hill High School in 1968 and served as a medic in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam Conflict. Ronald was a retired employee of the Hickory Crawdads with over 20 years of service. He loved the outdoors, including hunting, fishing, and all sports, and he enjoyed watching old movies.A devoted brother and uncle, Mr. Norman is survived by his siblings, Martha Baird and her husband, Roger, of Morganton, Jerry Norman and his wife, Nona, of Valdese, and Wanda McGuire and her husband, Tommie, of Lenoir, NC; five nieces; two nephews; three great-nieces; four great-nephews; three aunts; and one uncle.The funeral service will be held at 12:00 p.m., Thursday, September 19, 2013 in the Colonial Chapel of Sossoman Funeral Home with the Rev. David Bean officiating. Burial will follow in Burke Memorial Park with military honors provided by the N.C. National Guard and the Caldwell County Veterans Honor Guard. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 11:00 a.m. until noon prior to the service. At other times the family will be at the home of Jerry and Nona Norman on Greentree Acres, Valdese.Memorial contributions may be made to Burke Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc., 1721 Enon Road, Valdese, NC 28690.