Bill Norwood
Bill & Liz Norwood
William Kenneth “Bill” Norwood, 87, of Cleveland, TN passed away Wednesday at his home surrounded by family. A native of Polk County and a resident of Cleveland for 34 years, he was the eldest of three children born to William J. Norwood and Alice Stone Burnette, both of whom preceded him in death, along with his brother, Franklin R. Norwood.
Survivors include his beloved wife of 63 years, Elizabeth Lyons Norwood; one son, Dennis Norwood (Mary Jo) of Matthews, NC; one daughter, Paula Norwood of Dayton, OH; one grandson, Daniel Norwood (Laura) and two great-grandsons, William and Anderson Norwood of Lake Wylie, SC; one sister, Mary Ellen Norwood Janes (James) of Benton, TN; several nieces, nephews and a host of friends and fellow veterans, including numerous Ex-POW’s and their families.
Mr. Norwood enlisted at the age of 18 and proudly served his country as a Corporal in the US Army (24th Infantry Division). During the Korean War, he was taken prisoner and held captive for 2 ½ years – a period that shaped the balance of his life. Upon his retirement from Top Value Enterprises, Mr. Norwood moved back to Bradley County with his wife, where they both remained active in numerous organizations dedicated to enriching the lives of veterans.
Mr. Norwood’s military decorations included the POW medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Korean Service Medal with ten battle stars, United Nations Service Medal, South Korean Government Service Medal, South Korean Government Presidential Medallion, and he met the qualifications for a Purple Heart.
He was the Founder of the Korean War Ex-POW Association and served more than ten years as the organization’s president. He was also a proud recipient of the Raymond Miller Award, the Charles H. Coolidge Veteran of the Year Award and the Bill Norwood Award, which was established in his honor to recognize outstanding service to veteran affairs in the community.
Mr. Norwood was a lifetime member of American Ex-Prisoners of War, Korean War Veterans Association, American Legion Post 81, Disabled American Veterans and VFW Post 2598 where he served as Chaplain, and was an honorary Lifetime Member of the Col. Benjamin Chapter of the National Society of Sons of the American Revolution. He also served on the Bradley County Veteran Funeral Honor Guard for 24 years.
A visitation will be held on Monday from 5p-8p at Shenandoah Baptist Church (138 Osment Rd SE, Cleveland, TN 37323), with a funeral service occurring on Tuesday at 10AM at the same location. Burial will follow at Chattanooga National Cemetery where Mr. Norwood will receive full military honors. Companion Funeral Home of Cleveland will oversee all services (www.companionfunerals.com).
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Rolling Thunder TN Chapter Two, a supremely honorable group of patriots of which Mr. Norwood was proud to be a member:
PO Box 91132 East Ridge, TN 37412