Norman Mead Maxon

Norman Mead Maxon was born June 12, 1922, to Norman T. and Agnes Maxon in Des Moines, Iowa. He entered into eternal rest with our Lord Jesus Christ on July 29, 2008, after a lengthy illness and convalescence.

Norman, "Bud," was reared in Barrington, Ill. After Pearl Harbor, he volunteered for the U.S. Navy Seabees (The Fighting Seabees). He served in the South Pacific, including the New Hebrides and the Admiralty Island invasions.

Norman Mead Maxon

In late 1944, Norman entered the Naval V-12 academic program after scoring in the top three in his Battalion V-12 test. He chose Iowa State University to study architecture and structural engineering. He graduated in 1948 with a degree in architecture and structural engineering and was inducted into the Honorary Tau Sigma Delta Architectural Engineering Fraternity.

In 1947, he was married to Katherine M. Donohue of Bonesteel, S.D., one of the daughters of South Dakota pioneer parents Patrick and Anna Donohue.

Norman and Katherine made their home in Barrington. There, Norman joined his brother, Don C. Maxon, in business as architect and construction manager of Maxon Construction Company. During the postwar years, Norman was the architect and co-developer of the Trout Valley and Brigadoon areas of Cary, Ill., and helped found the town of Streamwood, Ill. He supervised the construction of the Parents Magazine national award-winning project, U.S. Gypsum Research Village, as well as many custom homes in the Chicago area.

In 1960, Norman and his wife and family moved to Tucson with Maxon Construction Company to help found, design, and develop the town of Green Valley. Green Valley was the first FHA-sponsored retirement community in the nation. It was with his best friend, James M. Smith, architect, of Maxon, Smith & Mackie Architects, that they designed and constructed the core development of present Green Valley.

In 1968, Norman went to work for the McCullough Corporation of Lake Havasu and was instrumental in the reconstruction of the London Bridge in Arizona. After leaving the McCullough Corporation, Norman re-entered business with his brother, Don C. Maxon, and designed and constructed several housing developments, including Catalina Pueblo townhouse development in the north Tucson area of the Catalina Mountains foothills. Upon retirement, Norman and Katherine moved to Safford.

Norman was a licensed architect in the states of Illinois, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada.

During his lifetime, Norman was involved in many volunteer activities. He was the scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 199 in Tucson; helped organize and was a charter member of the Tucson Fly Fishing Club; and was a member of the Pima County Sheriff's Posse. Norman was the architect and construction manager for the Catholic Church, including the Desert House of Prayer, with Fr. John Kane C.S.S.R., the University of Arizona Newman Center and Sacred Heart Church in Willcox.

Norman is survived by his wife, Katherine M. Maxon; daughter Mary Kathleen Bunch; and sons Norman Patrick (Ellen), Michael P., Gregory B. (Linda), John M., Martin E. (Cynthia), and Mark C. He was preceded in death by son Thomas C.

Grandchildren include Raymond Bunch, Norman Bunch, Gregory Maxon Maldonado, Brandon Max-on Maldonado, Christ-opher Maxon Maldonado, Sean Maxon Maldonado, Nicholas Maxon, Katherine Maxon, Thomas Maxon, Margaret Maxon, Sarah Maxon, Miguel Maxon, and Rebeca Maxon and Megan.

The family would like to express gratitude to Norman's caregivers, especially Jonathan Insel M.D., internist and endocrinologist, and Dennis Citron M.D., cardiologist.

Funeral services were held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Solo-mon at 11 a.m. on Satur-day, Aug. 2. Graveside and interment services were conducted at 12 p.m. at Safford Union Cemetery.