April 24th, 1935 - December 27th, 2024
WALTERS, Norman John of Fergus, passed away on Friday morning, December 27th, 2024 at Groves Memorial Hospital in his 89th year. Norm was born on April 24th, 1935 in Ontario; the son of the late Horace John and Mary Ethel (nee Mason) Walters, and survived by his brother Doug.
Norm married the late Lillian Louise Size on July 5, 1958 and they had three children: Mary Louise (late David Jones), Suzanne (Gord Moss), and Norma-Jeanne. His daughters made him a grandfather to five grandchildren: Michelle, Angela, Sarah, Melissa, and Cain; who love and miss him dearly. In the second chapter of his life, after the passing of his beloved Lillian, he was blessed with a second strong woman, Barbara Ann Buckles who became his loving wife in 1998 making Norm the proud stepfather of Marie, Sam, Andrew, Bill, and David. This extended family blessed Norm with more grandchildren: Megan, Nick, Taylor, Alec, Spence, Jack, Patrick, and Sam who he cared for deeply and spoke of fondly and often. Norm always said, “if he had known grandchildren were so much fun, he’d have had ‘em first.”
Norm, best known as the Fergus Santa after becoming famous for his charitable work as a loving, jolly, and generous spirit in the community. He brought joy and the holiday spirit to everyone he encountered, most notably by a young boy in line at the downtown Tim Hortons who whispered to his mother, “look, it’s Santa” pointing back at Norm. Handing the child a peppermint scented pen, Norm told the young boy to be good to his mother when an onlooker (Mark) took a photo and posted it online. That’s when the Fergus Tim Hortons Santa became a viral sensation worldwide.
As a natural giver Norm was an avid volunteer for the Dixie, Fergus, and International branches of the Lions Foundation. He was awarded with Lion of the Year and Fellowship Awards on multiple occasions for distinguished and unselfish years of service to the club. Outside of his humanitarian work, Norm loved wildlife and his illustrious Eden-like gardens with ponds full of frogs, turtles, and fish fascinated his grandchildren for hours. His need to build joy led him to the creation of many exciting ventures, including his miniature train display, a giant ferris wheel in his backyard, and the three-level playhouse with slide, intercom, and telescope tower he erected at the cottage simply to inspire wonder in his grandchildren’s imaginations.
A Celebration of Life for this extraordinary man will be held at Graham Giddy Funeral Home on January 18th, 2024 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Private interment for immediate family to follow at a later date. In lieu of flowers, and in the spirit of who Norm was, please make donations to any charity that moves you as he was a giving and generous soul.
