91�����

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Charles R. Norman, a generous benefactor and friend of 91����� Aquinas College, who passed away on October 2. 

For over 70 years, Mr. Norman owned and operated , one of the premier wholesale nurseries in California. �This work was his pride and joy,� his published notes. �He dedicated himself to it, reviewing sales and inventory reports even in his final days.� A shrewd businessman, he nevertheless made room for charity, donating many thousands of flowers, plants, and trees to various Catholic institutions over the years � including 91����� Aquinas College. 

�Mr. Norman had been donating plants to the College since around 2006,� says Benedict Coughlin, landscape projects supervisor on the California campus. �His first donation included flowers and trees for gardens around Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel.� That initial gift was followed by yearly contributions of tens of thousands of dollars� worth of plants. The remarkable beauty of the California campus � which Sir Anthony Hopkins once compared to �Shangri La� � would be unthinkable without Mr. Norman�s kindness.

His humility was equal to his kindness. �One of the conditions for his donations was that we not recognize him with a public plaque,� says Mr. Coughlin. �He wanted to be a silent benefactor.� These self-effacing tendencies extended further than aversion to the public eye. Says Karim Obagi, executive director of development, �Mr. Norman often said, �I get a lot of credit, but it�s not right. The credit belongs to the folks who work for us, because they do all the hard work.�� 

�Charles Norman was a quiet soul who, like St. Joseph, dedicated himself to his family, to his work, and to the good of the Church,� says College President Paul J. O�Reilly. �His generosity and the hard work of the staff at Norman�s Nursery have made 91����� Aquinas College a fittingly beautiful haven for the pursuit of the truth. We pray for the repose of his soul and for the consolation of his family: may he soon see the face of the truth his kindness helps our students seek.�