Obituary of Norman Carl Deal

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15 Norman Carl Deal stepped into the presence of Jesus on August 1st, 2022. His last days were spent surrounded by loved ones at the McCall Hospice House. His nine-month struggle with cancer is over; his faith is now made sight. Norman was born in 1947 in Hickory, North Carolina, to the late Edward Lee and Mildred Louise Lackey Deal. He grew up in a mill village where children ran and played freely—from sandlot baseball to camping in the woods to swinging from vines into a river to racing bicycles down hillsides. He gained neighborhood notoriety for playing army, using a machetè to cut a path through the “jungle”, which turned out to be a neighbor’s corn field. He graduated from Hickory High School in 1965 and joined the Air Force a few months later. Norman served out his Vietnam era service as a jet engine mechanic in West Texas, where he met his future bride Jean. After marrying Jean in 1970, they settled in Greenville, SC, where he worked at the General Electric Gas Turbine Plant. He retired from there in 2004 as a shift ops leader. At GE, Norman built a strong reputation as a hard worker, as well as a caring and capable boss. His version of “retirement” meant starting his own business designing and installing custom cabinetry, offering his expertise to a local appliance company to remodel cabinets to accommodate new appliances. His craftsmanship is on display in many homes and businesses throughout the greater Greenville area. Norman was a man of action. He was quick to assess a situation, recognize what needed to be done and expedite the process for successful completion. He didn’t much patience for mulling over a situation and debating what to do. Even as a child, he delegated his household chores to friends so after completing all of them, they could go play. He was a fiercely proud dad and Papa, considering his family his highest achievement. His drive to work hard was always in order to provide a good life for them. Norman was brought up in a small Baptist church, but his faith in Jesus became a real personal commitment in 1982 when he was 35. His faith remained his first priority for the rest of his life, though he would be the first to admit that he spent the rest of his life learning to walk with Christ. He was a member of Fellowship Greenville for 42 years. Norman consistently spent a couple of hours daily studying God’s word and praying for each name included on a long, growing prayer list. When he realized that God’s plan did not include healing him from cancer, he eagerly awaited meeting Jesus his Savior. Norman is survived by his wife of 52 years, Jean Keeth Deal, of the home; his children: Alexis Deal of Hendersonville; Whitney (and Matt) Rexford of Simpsonville, and Ryan Deal of San Francisco. Also his sister Tenita Deal of Hendersonville and brother Eddie (and MaryLou) Deal of Simpsonville, and his grandchildren: Siena Unfried (and Tim O’Sullivan) of Hendersonville, Emma Unfried, a student in Tuscaloosa, AL, and Owen, Elli, Hattie and Winston Rexford of Simpsonville. The family will receive guests at Fellowship Greenville on Saturday August 6th from 10:30 to 11:45am. A service will follow at noon. …”with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1 In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials please be sent to Miracle Hill Ministries or to Fellowship Greenville Benevolence Fund.