Norman Samuel Fiddmont Sr.

Norman Samuel Fiddmont, Sr. was born on July 19, 1938, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was the last of 12 children born to Reverend James E. and Lucy Barnett Fiddmont.

After attending segregated Douglass High School in Maple Grove, Norman was among a small group of Black students who, in 1955—just weeks after the Mississippi lynching of Emmett Till—integrated St. Louis’s Maplewood-Richmond Heights High School. Norman spoke often of the terror he felt at the time.

The school year continued without incident, and Norman became the first Black football player to score a touchdown for the school. The University of Minnesota offered him a football scholarship, which Norman declined, choosing instead to attend Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri.

He transferred from Lincoln to attend Western Bible College in Kansas City, Missouri, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible Theology. In 1959, Norman was ordained by the Baptist Church and relocated to Houston to serve as the interim director of the Baptist Student Union at Southern University for the late civil rights advocate and professor, Reverend William “Bill” Lawson.

Norman returned to Kansas City to complete additional undergraduate and graduate work—including studies toward a PhD—at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. He taught History and Social Studies at Lincoln High School before becoming a consultant for the school district. He also served Baptist congregations in Parkville and St. Joseph, Missouri.

In Kansas City, Norman was very active in civil rights organizations and often wrote about the issue for the local Black newspaper. Throughout his life, Norman would continue to follow the North Star of peace and justice while serving on many ecumenical and denominational boards and committees.

Deeply interested in helping children receive the opportunities they all need and deserve, Norman worked with a Kansas City program that helped at-risk youth. He also founded I CAN—a motivational and reward-based incentive program for kids, which was utilized in Houston by several congregations and schools and as an after-school program.

In 1976, Norman was called to Kansas City’s Central Christian Church. He transferred his ministerial standing to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), where he served for seven years.

Norman moved to Houston in 1983. In 1986, he and his wife, Marilyn, founded The Good Shepherd Christian Church, which has existed since its inception as a multicultural congregation. During his time in Houston, Norman proudly earned a Master of Divinity degree from Houston Graduate School of Theology.

Norman loved all sports. He even learned to score bull riding—a detailed system that rates both the animal and the rider. But no sport and no team topped Norman’s loyalty to the Kansas City Chiefs. About that, he was unapologetic.

A dapper dresser and a fantastic cook—especially when it came to preparing baby back ribs—Norman was blessed with a beautiful baritone voice. He loved classical jazz and could accurately name a tune’s artist after hearing only a few notes.

Most of all, Norman was a pillar of faith with a soul that was gentle and kind.

Norman will be deeply missed by Marilyn Scruggs Fiddmont, his wife of 41 years; sister, Doris Frazier Fiddmont of Chesterfield, Missouri; sisters-in-law, Dorothy Maggett Fiddmont of St. Louis, Missouri, and Fannie Harris Fiddmont of Reston, Virginia; and the Anderson, Jones, Roper, and Scruggs families. The Young family, his neighborhood “grandchildren,” members and friends of The Good Shepherd Christian Church, numerous nieces and nephews, his two children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will all feel Norman’s absence.