I accepted the task of writing this article from attending the memorial service of a man whom I did not know, this memorial piece would be a simple one to write.

Interview a few of Terry Norberg’s co-workers during an emotional period, intertwining their words with a commentary on their current states of being, and provide a brief history of Norberg’s involvement with Capital, and as simple as that, the article would be complete.

Being for a man whom I did not know existed prior to seeing his name spelt out by the CHS Marching Band on the turf, this simple article formula would be more than sufficient in terms of memorializing a man in a newspaper whose majority of readers also had little knowledge of him.

Arriving on Saturday to a commons still half filled by empty chairs reassured this notion. I had arrived with only 20 minutes to spare before the beginning of the ceremonies. Surely everyone would be here by now, I thought.

But I was wrong.

Slowly but surely, wave after wave of individuals wanting to pay their respects entered and took their seats. Before my eyes the commons, which had until recently felt empty, now felt uncomfortably crowded. Individuals of all ages began taking their seats and, before I knew it, I found myself setting up row after row of additional seating.

Norberg was a friend, a mentor, a father, a husband, and a teacher.

“[Norberg] was the historian,” explains Dan Lundberg, “and remained that even past his retirement. You could go to him and ask him a question about something way back, whether it was the first week of moving into Capital High School or it was a play off game… he just knew it.”

Norberg, a former teacher at Capital, could be found at nearly every Capital event. From theater productions to football game, Norberg’s profession was more than just his passion, it was his life. From the teachers, to the students, Norberg never lost his drive to care for the needs of everyone he met, even if doing so was as simple as handing them a bottle of water.

“[Norberg] kept a crate of water back in the AV room,” said Kevin Wright. “He’d see someone having a bad day and he’d go grab a bottle of water and say, ‘Let’s have a chat,’ and give you a bottle of water.”

While excelling in the the big things like the original Capital News Service, Norberg shined in the simple things. Matthew Herinckx struggled to enumerate the ways in which Norberg influenced Capital. “I can’t think of anything the guy didn’t do. I cannot think of a single individual who spent more time here at this school, who was more involved, more dedicated to this school,”

“While planning this remembrance,” Herinckx explained, “someone referred to [Norberg] as Mr. CHS. At first that sounds trite and corny and silly, but the more I’ve thought about it, I think it is appropriate. He was the heart and soul of this school.”

In Wright’s opinion, Herinckx’s description of Norberg as the “heart and soul” of Capital was “a very evident thing… You hear a lot of people talk about how Capital is a warm and welcoming place,” continued Wright, “and that was Terry Norberg.”

Terry Norberg passed away on September 25, 2016.