Lew B. Norton's Obituary
Lew B. Norton passed away November 2 from complications of lung disease in Tulsa Oklahoma. Lew was born in 1936 in Chattanooga, TN but moved to Houston as a boy. He first picked up the bass in Junior High School and was earning money as musician as only a teen. Lew’s abilities straddled contemporary, jazz and classical genres. He attended Tulsa University as a history major while honing his musical craft. At TU, he met his future wife, Val Goff, a pianist, and they married in 1958.Lew followed his musical passion and became one of the youngest members of the Tulsa Philharmonic. While in his early twenties, Lew played with the St. Louis Symphony and toured with the Goldovsky Opera Theater. In 1963, Lew was awarded a Fromm Fellowship at the Tanglewood Summer Music Festival. He was hired by Leonard Bernstein in 1967 to join the New York Philharmonic where he played until 2006. While in New York, Lew was on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music and Lehman College. Many of Lew’s students went on to successful symphonic music careers. Lew was also an early member of the Philharmonia Virtuosi and toured many summers with the NHK Orchestra of Japan. Lew is survived by his wife, Val Goff Norton of Tulsa; daughter Kathryn Remillard and her husband Robert of Massachusetts; daughter Sydney Norton, son-in-law Gabriel Shapiro, grandson Arthur of St. Louis; brother Gary Norton of Austin, TX and nieces Kelly Fischer and Polly Schott of Houston.A memorial tribute to honor Lew will be held at future date in New York City for family and friends. Private family services to be held.
What’s your fondest memory of Lew?
What’s a lesson you learned from Lew?
Share a story where Lew's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Lew you’ll never forget.
How did Lew make you smile?