Norman Arends After a brief illness and surrounded by his loving family, Norman passed on Thursday, September 22, 2016, at the age of 81. He is survived by daughters, Joni and Cheryl Thevenet, and son, Barry (Laura), and grandchildren, Tyler and Nicole Arends, and Andrew and Daniel Thevenet, both serving in the U.S. Air Force, great granddaughter, Chloe Marie Arends, his brothers, Clark (Janice) and Don (Liz), and brothers-in-law, Ron (Francy) and Gary Jarvis, as well as many special cousins, nieces, nephews, and wonderful friends whom he loved dearly. He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Carol Jean. Norman was born on the prairie of South Dakota and attended a one-room school where he was the only child in his grade. Norman met and married his high school sweetheart, Carol Jean, and they moved to San Francisco in 1954 and to Marin in 1957. Norman's parents, Barney and Shirley Arends, preceded him in death. His kids and grandkids learned valuable life lessons from him. He was a man of character and integrity and always had words of encouragement. He was a wonderful father and grandfather. He was a long-time member of Trinity Lutheran Church. For over three decades, Norman led a Tuesday night Bible study. Norman and Carol were active in Marriage Encounter. Norman was a well-respected roofing contractor in Marin County for over 60 years. He took great pride in his company's workmanship to provide families with a sound roof over their heads. He served in the past on the board of the Marin Builders Association. Norman enjoyed sports and held 49er faithful season tickets for over 30 years. He loved growing vegetables, fruits and flowers in his garden. BBQ'ing was a specialty of his. He also enjoyed clam digging, fishing (his last trip was on September 16th with grandsons Tyler and Daniel), hiking around Lake Lagunitas with his family and dogs, and walking Gilly, Barry's Labrador retriever. Norman and Carol were world travelers and enjoyed exploring with their long-time friends and high school classmates on trains, buses and ships, and especially on the paddleboat cruises on the large rivers in the eastern United States. He was grateful that his daughters returned to Marin to be closer to him. We are thankful for Dad's doctors and the medical staff at Marin General Hospital for their expertise and compassionate care. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Homeward Bound of Marin, 1385 N. Hamilton Parkway, Novato, CA 94949, Guide Dogs for the Blind, P. O. Box 3950, San Rafael, CA 94912, or Hospice by the Bay, 17 E. Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Larkspur, CA 94939.