Tribute to Norm VanTilburg

SALUTE TO NORM VANTILBURG

                                                3/18/2024

FOR 25 YEARS THE PRESIDENT WAS HE,

OF ROCKFORD’S SHANES CROSSING HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

HIS COMMITMENT TO HISTORY WAS HIS MAIN QUEST,

BUT HIS SHARING THAT KNOWLEDGE IS WHAT MADE HIM BEST.

HIS PASSION TO PRESERVE THE THINGS OF THE PAST,

SO MEMORIES NE’ER BE FORGOTTEN AND FOREVER WILL LAST.

NORM HAS BEEN A FIXTURE AT THE HISTORICAL MUSEUM,

WHERE HISTORIANS AND STUDENTS CAME EAGER TO SEE HIM.

PEOPLE LIKE NORM ARE UNIQUE AND RARE,

WHEN YOU MEET HIM YOU KNOW HE REALLY DOES CARE.

A GREAT LISTENER, THE BEST TEACHER THIS MESSAGE I SEND,

TO A MAN WHO I CALL BOTH MENTOR AND DEAR FRIEND.

AN EDUCATOR, A PRINCIPAL, AND EVEN A COACH,

HIS CHARACTER AND INFLUENCE ARE BEYOND REPROACH.

WE SAY ‘THANK YOU NORM’  – WE SAY IT WITH GLEE,

SO YOU CAN SPEND MORE TIME WITH YOUR WIFE DEE.

WE WISH YOU ‘THE BEST’ – THE BEST YOU DESERVE,

AS WE ENJOY THE HISTORY THAT YOU DID PRESERVE.

WE HOPE YOU HANG AROUND TO MAKE US THE WISER,

AS ULTIMATE GUIDE AND HISTORICAL ADVISOR.

TO CONCLUDE THIS POEM, THESE WORDS WE DO SEND,

‘GOOD LUCK’ AND ‘GOD BLESS’  TO A LEGEND AND FRIEND.