In Memoriam Norman Deam

On January 8 of this year, we lost a dear friend of Ox-Bow, Norman Deam. In the company of the family he so treasured, Norm passed peacefully at the age of 89 in San Luis Obispo. His family writes that he will be remembered by his “free spirit, intellect, and will.” Throughout much of Ox-Bow’s history, Norm enchanted our campus and became a part of its legacy and spirit. He sparked traditions, cared for the lands, and sewed himself into the thread lines of Ox-Bow.

Norm spent childhood summers at his family’s decommissioned lighthouse in Saugatuck, a tradition he carried into his adulthood and passed on to two more generations of Deams. His father, Arthur Deam, served as Ox-Bow’s Executive Director in 1976 and served as President of the Board for over 15 years, further deepening the family's ties to Ox-Bow. Norm continued to foster a relationship with our campus long after his father’s retirement. He and his wife Connie took glass blowing and painting classes on campus for a number of years and passionately collected art by young artists. With their lighthouse sitting just a canoe ride away, the Deams’ neighborliness blossomed into a unique kinship with Ox-Bow. Norm often paddled over on summer nights with his children to play volleyball on our meadow and invited faculty and staff to his place for cocktail parties.

One of Norm’s most lasting legacies is the ferocity with which he took care of Ox-Bow’s lagoon and dunes as he warded off developers and continued to tend to the historic lighthouse that his father restored in 1962. He played an instrumental role in founding the Old Harbor Natural Area, which still protects some of Saugatuck’s shore, dunes, and wetlands. Facilities manager, John Rossi, says that Norm “was very much a steward. He knew this place was special and very much wanted to keep it that way.” 

John first met Norm in 1996 at one of the Deams’ adored cocktail parties. He fondly recalled the evening that Norm insisted everyone wear a hat from his elaborate collection at the party. Norm delighted in sharing bits of Saugatuck and Douglas’s history with guests and channeled his love for local history into lectures at the Saugatuck, Douglas Historical Society. He lived with a commitment to community and an integrous generosity: fostering his relationship with Ox-Bow, educating others, protecting the dunelands for the next generation, and spending time with his family at the lighthouse. We are so grateful to have known Norman Deam and are deeply saddened by his passing.

You can read his full obituary here.