Retired U.S. Army Col. Norman Allen Hicks, 67, died in the comfort of his family on March 26, at his residence in Wayland, Mass. following a battle with ALS.
Hicks was born in Albany, Calif. on March 23, 1942 the son of the late Norman Guy Hicks and Sylvia Irene (Larson) Hicks.
Hicks is survived by his wife of 46 years, Marilyn J. (Rehman) Hicks of Wayland. He was the father of Susan M. Memoli and her husband Christopher C. Memoli and their children Madeline R. and Nicholas A. Memoli, all of Wayland, and Heather L. DeMasi and her husband Michael T. DeMasi and their children Jessica L. and Miranda G. DeMasi, all of Wayland.
Hicks has resided in Wayland for the past year and a half and previously resided in Springfield. He was a graduate of Warden High School in Washington. He received his B.A. in business administration from Eastern Washington University and his M.B.A. from Indiana University. He graduated from Command and Military Staff College in 1981 and Army War College in 1986. He served with the United States Army during the Vietnam War and retired as the comptroller of the Army Reserves, after a 30-year career as an Army Finance Officer. His military awards include the Vietnam Service Medal, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medals and National Defense Service Medals.
Upon his retirement from the United States Army, he was a licensed Fraternal Insurance Counselor (FIC) with Thrivent Financial in Alexandria. He served as the president of the Virginia Fraternal Congress and was awarded the 2007 Richard M. Douglas Memorial Award and Virginia FIC of the Year Award. He was a lay minister at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Alexandria, before moving to Wayland. He enjoyed traveling, photography, swimming, running in road races with his daughter Heather and skeet shooting with friends. He was a loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather to his family who were the center of his life.
Funeral services for Hicks took place on Saturday, March 28, at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sudbury, Mass.
A Memorial Service will take place on May 5, at 7:30 p.m., at St John’s Lutheran Church, 5952 Franconia Road, Alexandria. Interment with full military honors will be conducted Wednesday, May 6, at 9 a.m. at Arlington National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Hicks' name to the ALS Assoc., 27001 Agoura Road, Suite 250, Calabasas Hills, CA 91301 or online at www.alsa.org/donate.
Arrangements entrusted to the care of the John C. Bryant Funeral Home of Wayland.