Papenberg, Norman J., baptized into the hope of Christ's resurrection, Tuesday, April 28, 2026.  Beloved husband of Kathleen A. Papenberg (nee Doering); dear father of John Papenberg and Ed (Regan Berkley) Papenberg; loving grandfather of Milo Papenberg; brother of Joyce (the late Patrick) DiPronio; our dear brother-in-law, uncle, cousin and friend.

Norman John Papenberg came into this world just five days before the United States entered the Second World War.  He would later recall an idyllic childhood, growing up with his parents and his sister, Joyce, on Berg Road in Lackawanna, New York. He graduated from West Seneca Central High School in June of 1959.

Lackawanna Steel was the big employer in town and, like his father before him, Norm went to work there upon graduation.  It didn't last long, however, as he was swept up in the beginning of a long tide of layoffs that affected the steel industry for decades to come.  Later in life he suspected that his father, who held a senior position at the plant, played a role in ensuring Norm would be on the list of those to cut. He foresaw the industry's decline, and this was his way of forcing a reluctant son to seek other opportunities.

And Norm did just that, first by heading west to spend several months with his grandfather who worked for the Union Pacific Railroad, tending tracks in the Mojave Desert. Those were transformative times, and Norm would talk about that experience for the rest of his life.  Soon after his stay in California, he applied to and attended DeVry Technical Institute in Chicago, where he earned an associate degree in Electronic Technology in August of 1962.

After DeVry Norm landed a job with McDonnell Aircraft, which brought him to St. Louis.  His work there included time spent on early space program contracts, an experience which he remembered fondly and took pride in. His move to St. Louis also brought him into contact with Kathleen Doering, who was to become the love of his life.  Norm and Kathy were wed on May 18, 1963, forming a union that lasted sixty-three years.

John Papenberg was born to Norm and Kathy in May of 1964, and shortly thereafter Norm was transferred to the White Sands Missile Range in Alamogordo, New Mexico. The young family spent a year there, while Norm worked on the testing of ejection seat systems for F111 aircraft.  His team would launch rocket sleds carrying dummy-laden cockpits on tracks across the desert.  The cockpits would eject, and debris would scatter. Norm and his colleagues scoured the desert for every nut and bolt and fragment, carefully reassembling the pieces in a hangar, trying to decipher their failures and successes. Kathy spent her days leaning into the equally uphill task of keeping up with a toddler son in a stark place far from home.

After Alamogordo, Norm and Kathy transferred back to St. Louis, where they placed a down payment for a house on Evergreen Court in Winchester, Missouri; the house in which he would live until and including his last day. Roots were set, and when McDonnell Aircraft decided to move the family again, Norm looked elsewhere. Elsewhere, for Norm, was a position with Western Electric, later AT&T.  And in August of 1967, Norm and Kathy became parents to another son, Ed.

At Western Electric, Norm was a company man at a time when company men existed, working on long-distance switching systems at a time when telephones were just telephones. He spent the lion's share of his career helping to sell and service 4ESS and 5ESS switching systems to small phone companies, mostly in the Midwest. Norm took pride in his work, retiring from telecommunications just at the dawn of the .com boom of the 1990s.

When Norm's sons were young, he stepped up and took an active role in their scouting activities, eventually accepting the position of Scoutmaster for local Troop 783. Troop 783 consisted of an 'energetic" crew of local boys, any one of whom demanded patience, the sum of whom required a deep well of the same. Under Norm's leadership, the troop was especially active; camping (summer and winter), hiking, canoeing, caving, and visiting historic battlefields. Norm was a quiet and patient man, whose presence impacted the boys' lives.  He was well respected and is fondly remembered by the scouts of 783.

Norm never advertised his passions, but he certainly had his pastimes. On weekends he relaxed while listening to ballgames on KMOX radio. He loved to fish, spending hours at August Busch Wildlife Area and at secret holes on the Meramec River. He also enjoyed golf. His tendency was for quiet and serene, and these activities provided that.

In his final years, Norm suffered from progressive dementia. His quiet became quieter, and his world necessarily shrank. It was his good fortune and a testament to his character that he was loved by many and cared for by those who loved him most deeply. Norm left this world peacefully on April 28, 2026, with Kathy, John, and Ed by his side. He will always be dearly loved and sorely missed.

Services:   Funeral from the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, 14960 Manchester Road at Holloway, Ballwin, Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to St. Joseph Catholic Church, Manchester for 10:00 a.m. Mass. Interment St. Joseph Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association . Visitation Friday 4-7 p.m. Friends may sign the family's on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.