Norman Jacob Goeltz

Norman Jacob Goeltz, Jr., of Gainesville, Georgia died peacefully at home on May 9, 2018. He frequently declared that he lived a rich, full life and had no regrets - he married the woman he loved and adored, cherished his children and grandchildren, was successful in a business he enjoyed, had seen the places he wanted to see and done the things he wanted to do. He considered his life complete.

Norm was born in Norfolk, Virginia on March 20, 1931 and grew up in Los Angeles and Seattle. He lived with his father in Honolulu during his senior year of high school and attended the University of Hawaii in 1949 where he met his future wife, Marilyn Catterall. Norm and Marilyn transferred to the University of Missouri in 1950 and, before joining the US Navy and proudly serving his country for four years, they eloped on January 13, 1951. Theirs was a true love affair, and Dad prized above all else the love they shared for 65 1/2 years. Together, they raised five children; their family was always their most important priority. He often said that no man ever enjoyed his children more, and none of his children would ever doubt it or his abiding love for them - they sang at the tops of their lungs with the windows rolled down, camped and hiked, watched the stars, discussed books and politics, ate great food and talked around the dinner table, and all knew that Dad was fiercely loyal and supportive of them reaching their potential and enjoying their lives to the fullest.

Norm enjoyed fishing and hunting, partly for the sport and mostly because he loved being outdoors on the water or in the woods. Norm worked in insurance his whole life - at Allstate and at Powell and Company before starting a brokerage firm of his own. While he easily wore a suit and excelled at managing people during the week, he was more comfortable in a pair of jeans reading a good book, and he and Marilyn built a home on Lake Lanier where they could enjoy their grandchildren, occasional travel and looking over the lake at sunsets each night.

Norm was an honorable and true man. He was strong and practical, but he was always gentle and engaging with a great smile and a big heart, and his loss leaves an unfillable chasm in our lives. He will be greatly missed. He is predeceased by his loving wife, Marilyn Catterall and his beloved son, Norman Jacob Goeltz, III (Skip); his sister, Sybil McKennon; and his sisters-in-law Rosalie Perry and Charlotte Lowe. Norm is survived by his sister, Helen Brown; his daughters Christine Godbey, Melissa Roehm (Scot), Katherine Hardin, and Cynthia DeBold (Conrad); his three granddaughters Katherine Hardin Klang (Tyler), Sarah Roehm, and Elizabeth Hardin; his great grandson Jacob; and many nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 on Saturday, May 12, 2018 at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, Cumming, GA, followed by burial at Sawnee View Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Norm's name to the Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarriorproject.org).