For over six decades, Hanover benefitted from a fierce conservation ethic bottled up within a gentle, soft-spoken man. Bob Norman, co-founder and emeritus member of the Hanover Conservancy’s Board of Directors, was an early driving force shaping a green future for our community. He volunteered his time, insights, and energy for the good of the town and all its inhabitants, taking particular joy in its winged ones.
Bob passed away on June 27, leaving us with a wonderful memory of our 60th anniversary celebration last October, when 30 current and former board members, including four other Conservancy presidents, surrounded him for this photo.
Bob founded the Hanover Conservation Council (now the Conservancy) in 1961 with his friends Carolyn Tenney, Jean Hennessey, George Wrightson, and Ted Hunter, and served as President in 1967-68 and 1970-75, Treasurer 1975-96, and President from 1996-99. Under his watch, the future of 1,691 acres of land in Hanover and beyond (in the early years) was secured, at first through assuring town acquisition, then in 1970 with the Council’s purchase of the beloved summit of Balch Hill. His success at behind-the-scenes conservation remains a model for the Conservancy today, most recently with the Mink Brook Community Forest and Hudson Farm.
Perhaps Bob’s best-known achievement was protecting the 112-acre Mink Brook Nature Preserve in 1999, then slated to become a 32-lot subdivision with a developer’s stakes already in the ground. Today, we can enjoy the Norman Overlook at Mink Brook, dedicated in Bob’s honor at a well-attended ceremony in 2019.
After he retired from the board of directors, Bob remained a member of the Conservancy’s Lands Committee and a valued advisor right up until his last weeks. We are grateful that Bob’s family has designated the Hanover Conservancy for gifts in his memory, to keep his extraordinary legacy growing.
Please use the button below to donate in memory of Bob Norman
