Wilbert Kenneth Norman, Jr.

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." — Psalm 91:1 (NIV)

Wilbert Kenneth Norman Jr. passed away peacefully on April 18, 2026, at Mount Carmel East Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, at the age of 65.

Born May 24, 1960, in Passaic, New Jersey, Wilbert was raised in the city he always called home in his heart. He graduated from Passaic High School and from his earliest years carried a faith that would shape every corner of his life.

Wilbert answered the call to ministry as a young man, serving as pastor of Voice of Praise Ministries and laboring in evangelism wherever the Lord led him. Though his role changed over the years, his calling never did. He remained a shepherd at heart, a man who loved the Lord above all else and carried that love into every room he entered. In his later career, he worked as an intervention aide for Columbus City Schools and St. Vincent Family Services, pouring into children who needed someone to see them, believe in them, and stand in their corner.

To know Wilbert was to be loved by him. He had a heart larger than life, and he gave it generously to the least of these — the hungry, the homeless, the forgotten, the sick, the outcast. He made strangers feel like family within minutes of meeting them. He could make anyone laugh. And he dressed the part wherever he went because he believed that showing up well was one more way to honor God and the people around him.

His family was his greatest joy.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Wilbert Norman Sr. and Johnnie-Mae Norman, and by his brothers Dwayne Norman, William Norman, and Gregory Weaver.

He leaves behind to cherish his memory his beloved wife of 43 years, Rosemary Norman; his daughter, Tiffany Norman; his son, Isaac Norman; his sisters, Kathy Davis and Yolanda Norman; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family, along with countless friends and church family who were loved by him and loved him in return.

In his final days, Wilbert quoted the words of the Apostle Paul: "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21, NIV)

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