Norman Gilbert Hettinger

Norman Gilbert Hettinger, aged 85, passed away on Thursday, February 20th, after a long illness, bravely borne. He was the son of Lillian and Robert Hettinger and was born in Pittsburgh, PA, on March 12th, 1939.

He is survived by his loving wife, Gillian, of 61 years, his son, Jonathan and his partner, Francesco Giannese, his daughter Caitlin and son in law Christopher McNeill of Sheffield, MA, and his granddaughter, Audrey Jane. A dearly-beloved daughter, Amanda, pre-deceased him in 1977.

Norman, who held a B.S. in Mathematics, was a proud Army veteran, serving in the Army Security Agency in both England and Germany, which honed his skills in telecommunications and led to a life-long career in the field. He worked for many years with such major corporations as RCA, GE and Western Union. The capstone of his career was working as a consultant in telecommunications for the government of Saudi Arabia in the immediate aftermath of the Gulf War. Here he not only enjoyed the challenges of the job, but also the joy of living in the desert and taking part in marathons with the Riyadh Road Runners.

Norman also lived for 50 years in Pompton Plains, NJ, where he was an active member of the community, serving on local boards and committees, including as North Jersey Chapter Chairman of the Institute of Electric and Electronics Engineers. Moving full-time to Sheffield, MA, in 2018, he loved this rural community and enjoyed his hobbies of hiking, photography, bird-watching and banjo-playing. Norman also loved to travel and visited such far-flung places as Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Peru, Brazil and Argentina.

In addition to his immediate family, Norman on his mother’s side was a member of a large, extended family, “The Hostler Clan,” rooted in the Allegheny Mountains. He reveled in the annual family reunions held in Pennsylvania and Virginia and he never lost his country roots, although working in NYC for much of his life. He had a keen sense of humor and his favorite saying was: “I’m just an Allegheny mountain boy, trying to make it in the big city.” Norman was also very close to his wife’s English relatives, the Whiteleggs and the Mattinsons.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lich Gate Concerts c/o Christ Trinity Church, 180 Main Street, Sheffield, A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.