Fort Worth radiator shop owner Yancey Worth Norman dies at 95

Yancey Worth Norman, 95, passed away Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, leaving behind a family spanning five generations. The Fort Worth resident was born Sept. 16, 1931, to Edward Worth Norman and Frances May Norman. He grew up on the Northside of the city in a two-bedroom home his grandfather and father built on Gould Street. The family moved into the house when he was three years old, sharing the upstairs bedroom with his sister Laura. Downstairs, an old potbellied stove heated the living room, a task his father performed by getting up at night to add wood.

Norman’s early life was marked by close family bonds and modest comforts. When his sister contracted scarlet fever, his parents sent him to live with his grandparents on six acres along Grapevine Highway for a month. His mother would visit, often crying because she could not hold him, while his father went inside to bring him out to the porch. This period deepened his relationship with his grandfather. Later, the family traded their Gould Street home for a residence on Homan Street, where Norman slept on a large back porch enclosed with plastic. His father built a window cooler and hand-dug a well to make the space habitable during hot and cold weather.

Known as Bud throughout his life, Norman began working at the family business, Norman Radiator, around age 10. He attended Northside High School in Fort Worth, where he played football despite a broken collarbone he sustained during a game. The injury was discovered only after he played another down, and his coaches had to drive him home to inform his parents. After graduating, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1950. He was stationed mostly in Hawaii, where he delivered supplies to ships at sea. He was honorably discharged in November 1954.

Upon returning home, Norman resumed work at Norman Radiator, which he eventually owned and ran for decades. He also worked nights at Consolidated Aircraft, now Lockheed. He met Glenda Owens through mutual friends after enlisting in the Navy. They married on Feb. 10, 1952, and had two children, Pam and Ron. The couple enjoyed traveling the country, square dancing, and spending time with friends. In the 1970s, they attended a late-night show in Las Vegas where singer Diana Ross stopped her band to wake Norman, who had fallen asleep before she took the stage.

Norman and Glenda donated money to Christ’s Haven to sponsor a family of children. Later, he and his friend Marshall Seimer collected donated food from various churches and delivered it to the organization. Norman performed these acts quietly, often without public recognition. He and Glenda cared for each other through difficult health challenges. When he underwent triple-bypass surgery, she helped with his recovery. Later, when she developed breast cancer, he provided the same care. Glenda suffered a stroke in December 2015 and lived in a nursing home for almost three years. Norman visited her every day until her passing in 2018.

Norman continued to golf until age 92, when walking difficulties affected his balance. He was an avid hunter, fisherman, water skier, and snow skier. He is survived by his children, Pam and Ron; three grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandson. His neighbor and friend Bob Hall, and housekeeper Vincetta Taylor, helped care for him in his final months. Visitation will be held 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, at Mount Olivet in the Breyley Suite. A funeral service is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Mount Olivet Chapel, followed by interment at Mount Olivet Cemetery.