Michael D. Norton, 64, of Plymouth passed away peacefully at his home on January 11, 2024. He was born in Scarborough Township, Ontario on March 17, 1959, to Robert and Gloria Norton.
Mike was an avid hockey fan, coach, and player. He played on the hockey team at Miami University in Ohio, where he earned his Master’s Degree in Physical Education. Mike would go on to work for the university as their Hockey Director and Coach. He had a passion for coaching others and mentored students in the youth hockey program – a vocation he lived while working at Culver Academies as a hockey coach, counselor, and assistant Athletic Director from 1993-2015. Even beyond his professional responsibilities to the sport of hockey, Mike enjoyed attending clinics and spreading his knowledge and skillset with other coaches, whether it was serving on Miami’s Summer Hockey staff, running hockey camps in Columbus, Indiana, or training new coaches through USA Hockey. Mike most recently worked at Culver Academies as a driver for their health center.
He will be remembered by his family for his easy-going and patient personality. He was a great storyteller and an even better friend. When he had long drives, he would call his friends to catch up and see what was going on in their world. He cared deeply about the people in his life.
Along with maintaining his many strong relationships, Mike enjoyed fishing in Canada and attending various sporting events. There was rarely a Friday night in the fall when you wouldn’t catch Mike at a Culver football game, and he never turned down an opportunity to see a hockey game in a rink. He just recently returned from a trip to Nashville to catch a Predators game.
Mike will be dearly missed by his parents, Robert and Gloria; children, Kelly (John) Rogers of Culver and Robert Norton (Rachel Soriano) of San Francisco, CA and their mother, Ann; grandchildren, Caroline and Emma; brother, Jim Norton and brother-in-law, Jerry Kroetsch.
He is preceded in death by his sister, Barbara Kroetsch.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, January 19, 2024, at the Culver Academies Memorial Chapel, 1300 Academy Rd, Culver, IN 46511. Visitation will be held from 4-6PM with a Celebration of Life at 6PM with Life Celebrant Jim Smart officiating.
Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. Condolences can be left to the family at www.johnson-danielson.com
