DIERKS, Norman Frederick

The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, AZ Wednesday, September 8, 2010 On Thursday, Aug. 19, Norman Frederick Dierks unexpectedly passed away at his home in Wickenburg, thus losing his 18-year battle against Parkinson’s disease and its many complications. Norm was born on Jan.28, 1934, in Winona, Minn., the second child of German immigrants Fred and Gertrude Dierks. He enjoyed his childhood on a small farm across the Mississippi River in Bluff Siding, Wis., raising 4H calves and pigs, riding his pony, and owning his first car, a Model T, at age 10. During the summers he learned to drive a team of draft horses and worked for a neighbor who used them on his farm. His love of big horses endured for his entire life. The World War II years were not kind to a German-American family, especially since Fred Dierks was the editor of a German-language newspaper sold throughout the northern plains. Norm’s father was taken away by the FBI and held for several months, the FBI being convinced that he was spying for Germany. One of Norm’s vivid childhood memories was of FBI agents tearing down the front-yard flagpole on which the family flew an American flag, as the FBI believed that it concealed an antenna for transmitting information to the enemy. After Fred Dierks’s eventual release from prison, the family moved to California, where Norm graduated from Mountain View High School in 1951. Starting with his Model T, he had discovered his affinity for and talents with anything mechanical or involving tools, and he owned a succession of cars that he modified into hot rods. In school he also enjoyed woodworking and created the first of many projects from a small chess table to a restored Victorian china cabinet. After a return to Winona and the realization that, while driving a team was a joy, farming as a lifestyle was not for him, Norm joined the Air Force at 17. He spent most of the Korean War in Japan as an aircraft mechanic and discovered he had another great love and great talent: airplanes. Norm left the Air Force after four years and returned to California, where he married and started his family with the birth of daughter Karen. Daughters Linda and Stacey followed. He returned to school at the Northrop Aeronautical Institute in Los Angeles and earned degrees and certifications in aeronautics. He then moved back to the Bay Area, settled in San Jose and owned various aircraft businesses at Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose. By the mid 1960s, he had decided on a career in flying and returned to school for qualifications. He began traveling the globe for World Airways, a large charter airline that carried both passengers and freight. He always said that he did not want to be an “airborne bus driver” with a regular route, so he chose to fly for charters that have no scheduled routes, and see the world. After World Airways, Norm worked for a fledgling Japanese airline, All Nippon, and spent three more years living in Japan. He next joined TransInternational Airlines, moved back to San Jose, and continued charter flying around the globe. He had now become qualified on the DC3, DC6, 707, DC8, DC10, and C130 Hercules. TIA was his favorite of all his airlines and the “stretch” DC8 his favorite airplane. Since his work schedule consisted of long stretches on the road and then long stretches at home, Norm continued to work with private aircraft at Reid-Hillview. He owned several planes that he restored to flying condition and became a sought-after expert on antique “round” engines. One of his projects won first place at the national antique fly-in held in Oshkosh, Wis. His last and largest private aircraft business, Global Aircraft Components, was a salvage, parts, and engine repair shop that Norm owned with two partners. They salvaged both private and commercial wrecks after accidents, worked with insurance companies, and bought many of those aircraft for usable or repairable parts. Norm also did engine tear-downs for both insurance companies and the NTSB. The partners eventually sold the company when it became too large for a part-time business. During the same period Norm met and married his wife Connie. They traveled extensively, with Connie joining him on working trips to Africa, Asia, and Europe. They also traveled during his time off, particularly to visit with family members in Germany. His daughters married, and Norm became “Poppa” or “Big Poppa” to seven much-loved grandchildren. In 1987 Norm and Connie purchased 10 acres north of Wickenburg and started planning to leave the congestion of the Bay Area and return to their small-town roots. When a teaching position opened at Vulture Peak School in 1993, they became Wickenburg residents, eventually building their “forever” house. Norm designed the house, worked closely with Alvin Hancock and many local subcontractors between his trips, and did many finish projects himself. As he had in San Jose, he became involved with his wife’s school, becoming Vulture Peak’s volunteer handyman and helping with PTA projects, too. When she joined Desert Stagers, he did too, taking on set construction and backstage management. When she joined BPW, he took on many projects for that organization as well. In 1982 Norm was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and began a battle for his life. Medications controlled the first symptoms for several years, but eventually he became disabled with the many complications of the disease and could no longer walk unassisted or use tools or drive. However, he never quit fighting to retain his ability to function, and to the very end of his life he kept trying to do projects. He took up working with photographs old and new on his computer and became very proficient at repairing and copying them. He bought and dismantled a number of printers, trying to understand their workings. The joy of his life, however, became Wrangler football. Norm had always attended home games when he wasn’t working, but starting in 2001 for the three years grandson Jack Canary played varsity, he and his wife also traveled with the team to away games. Since then, they have continued to travel, and in nine years, Norm missed only one game… when he was hospitalized with pneumonia and couldn’t convince the doctors to let him out just long enough to attend. Norman was preceded in death by his parents and his first wife Cheryl. He is survived by his wife of 35 years Connie; his three daughters Karen Rosales, Linda Velo, and Stacey Canary; and his son-in-law Chris Canary. He also leaves seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren - Jennifer (Valdemar) Palafox; Eric Rosales; Nick (Tanya), Kyle, and Travis Velo; Jack and Stefanie Canary; Adrian, Lisette, and Cristian Palafox; and Payton Velo. He is also survived by his sisters Charlotte (Kory) Scholberg of San Jose, Marlena Willson of Phoenix, and Katherine (Scott) Johnson of Kalispell, Mont.; his brother Gordon Dierks of Vashon, Wash.; and their children Steven and Christine (Paul Tuttle) Scholberg, Byron and Gretchen Tallman, and Nancy and Aaron (Sheryl) Dierks. A memorial service will be held on Sunday (Sept. 12) at 1 p.m. at the Recreation Center in Coffinger Park. The family has requested that any memorial donations be made in Norm’s name to the Banner Sun Health Research Institute for Parkinson’s, where Norm was a patient, and mailed to the Sun Health Foundation, P.O. Box 2015, Sun City, AZ 85372. Arrangements are under the direction of David’s Desert Chapel Funeral Home.