Norman Artis

Please come and join us in celebration of one of the most honored Tuskegee Airmen and father Mr. Norman Artis as we say farewell to a lifetime and great legacy of a father and caregiver of not only our family but so many others as he leaves behind the love of his family and friends both in Hawaii and Hampton Virginia as well as his home in Capitol Heights, Maryland and where he leaves his wife Gloria Artis and family in Fort Washington, Maryland. His life is an overwhelming truth that we can all make a difference and we as a family will carry his memory wherever we land because Norman through all things Korean War or otherwise he will always be remembered as a hero. Salute!! These are words from my mom to celebrate his memory "Today we lay to rest a man who passed the test of bravery, love, honor, integrity and tenacity to say the least! Norman Artis was born April 25, 1932 to (Father)Hershel Artis and (Mother) Estelle Downing after the loss of his parents at a very young age Norman was raised by his Uncle Shirley Smith and Aunt Roseamer Smith.
He was blessed to have raised eight children without complaining about the labor of doing so. Norman educated, loved and supported each of his children through each and every situation from childhood throughout their adulthoods! Never not once did he turn his back on his children. In Norman’s early twenties while in Texas he met and married Olivia Flye and became father to Ron, Brenda and Bernadette soon they were blessed with two more sons Michael and Wendell. They were stationed in Turkey and various parts of Europe after which they returned to the East Coast and made their home in Springfield, Massachusetts and then Washington D.C. and then settled in their permanent residence in Prince George County. Norman often spoke of how he would take his precious little girls Brenda and Bernadette to work with him and how he encouraged Ron’s creativity by buying him his first saxophone.

But as unfortunate as it may seem two young loves Norman and Olivia grew up and grew apart though forever remaining dear to one another’s heart as friends. Now settling into a somewhat secluded life after Olivia returned home to Texas in the mid 1970’s and personal life as a single father who always kept his door, phone and internet open to his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and friends!

He loved his daughter Latonya Eubanks even though he wasn’t able see her as often he built a healthy relationship with her.
Years passed and Norman grew tired of being alone and it was at this time in the mid 1980’s that he met and fell in love with Gloria Smith a bright light in his life during some very dark times. Norman was now retired from the Air Force and working at the United States Pentagon in Washington D.C. and Gloria was working in banking and a single parent of three sons Adrian Bass, Antwane Smith, and Aaron Smith whom Norman Adopted as his own children once he divorced Olivia and married Gloria in the late nineteen
eighties.
Norman Artis had a flag flown over the Pentagon in Honor of his service and was also a proud member of the East Coast Chapter of the Tuskegee Airman Association with wife Gloria’s loving support.
Norman was also a survivor of the 911 attack on the Pentagon. When his eldest son Ron Artis and wife Victoria Artis the parents of Norman’s eleven world renown artistic and musical grandchildren reached him after he was rescued from the rubble of the attack on the Pentagon Norman told them that he had to go back to the Pentagon to help retrieve his friends and comrades who were still trapped inside. Norman loved God, America His Country, His Family And Friends. He often spoke boldly about what he felt was wrong or right and did his part to make a change for the better by being that change. He was highly educated in the I T world. He loved working on computers and CB radios of which you could find him on all hours of the night!
He attended the Million Man March and many other historical events.

But after losing three of his son’s his health started to decline. He managed to stayed active with his landscaping business, Tuskegee Airmen and community service. After coming to Hawaii for the first time after the passing of his eldest son Ron Artis he discovered that many people in Hawaii weren’t aware of the contributions and sacrifices of the U.S. Air Force Tuskegee Airmen and felt led to educate, recruit and start the Hawaii Chapter Of The Tuskegee Airmen and so with the approval of the chairman of the Tuskegee Airmen Norman founded the Hawaii Chapter Artis Baham Goldsborough Tuskegee Airmen Chapter in 2010 with the assistance of his daughter in-law (wife of son Ron Artis) Mrs. Victoria Artis he found out that there were two original documented surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen. Norman Artis spent days on end searching for their contact information and first located Baham who was ailing and in an assisted living home. Norman went to meet with Baham and prompted him to join forces with him to found the Hawaii chapter not long after Norman also located Goldsborough and convinced him to participate as well! Norman went to the universities and community colleges on Oahu and handed out flyers and stickers that he designed to educate young people about the Tuskegee Airmen and to sign them up as members of the newly Founded Artis Baham Goldborough Chapter.
A ceremony for the chapter was performed at the debut of the film Red Tails in Honolulu, Hawaii at the Consolidated Ward Theaters Honoring Baham and Goldsborough as two of the last surviving original Tuskegee Airmen living in Hawaii and Tuskegee Airman Norman Artis as the original founder of the Hawaii chapter.
Norman returned home to the east coast.
Two years after his return home to Prince George County, Maryland.
His son Aaron was killed during a storm in 2012.
Norman stayed actively involved with family near and far and with his best friend for over seventy years James Bullock and a host of other friends. But when he received the news of his son Michael’s passing and having had his home damaged by an accidental fire and being forced to move in temporarily with family while battling to have his home which was filled with so many wonderful memories repaired and after losing three of his son’s his health started to decline. But his wife Gloria remained by his side attending to his needs when no one else could be there.
When I think of Norman I think of the man who encouraged us to start our first website, the man who helped us mass produce our first album on cd’s, the man who was as Ron would say was not a man of many words. But a man who led by example; he was organized, he was always clean and well kept, he was never selfish with his knowledge, he retired and went back to work not once but at least two or three times. He was physically fit! In his seventies he could rapidly do one hundred push ups with one hand behind his back while smiling at his grandchildren as they watched in awe!

Norman Loved All Of His Children And His amazing Grandchildren and Great grandchildren who have excelled in the tech world, military services, sales, management, sports, fashion and entrepreneurship, entertainment and fine arts.
While some might say that The Honorable Retired Master Tech Sargent Norman Artis was small in statue there was no doubt that he was a giant in spirit. You might not agree with his perspective on some politics but there wasn’t any way that you could love him any less.

As Norman would say “ You Know, These jokers are always tryna hustle somebody. They ain’t getting me! “
Rest In Peace Norman, You Have More Than Earned Your Peace!

Norman Artis didn’t spend much time in church because he didn’t like the business of church and didn’t believe in part time preachers he had come across in life. But Ron and Victoria prayed for and with him often and he did say “ Yeah God Bless You Too Vicki I Love Y’all! “