William "Bill" Norton Jr, 95, of Bethlehem passed away on Sunday 8 August, 2021.  He was the husband of the late Florence "Betty" Norton with whom he attended high school and college and spent 62 years with in marriage.

Born in Wilmington Delaware, he was the son of William and Anna (Patton) Norton.  He joined the Navy during World War II part way through his studies at the University of Delaware and returned to finish his degree when his enlistment ended. He was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity at Delaware. He worked his entire career for J. T. Baker Chemical Co. in Phillipsburg NJ selling laboratory reagents to government, higher Ed, and industry. In this position he traveled extensively throughout the United States making calls on customers and participating in American Chemical Society conferences. He founded J. T. Baker's Chemical Safety School and was instrumental in promoting the Material Safety Data Sheet, now used throughout the industry .  He was a member of President Ford's Commission on Government Procurement.  He was a long-time member of the First Presbyterian Church in Bethlehem serving as an elder, Clerk of the Session, and Superintendent of Christian Education.   He and Betty volunteered with Meals on Wheels.  They were lifelong members of the University of Delaware Alumni Association. They loved motorhoming and were long time members of the Keystone Winnebago Travelers Club, for which Bill authored the club newsletter

He was a great supporter of all of his children's athletic interests, but it was through his son Tom's excelling in soccer in high school and collegiately that Bill developed his own love for the game.  He turned that into decades of soccer refereeing at the youth, high school, and college level.  Through their shared love of soccer he had a special bond with two of his grandsons, Hunter and Reed, who both played the game.

Bill loved to entertain and to cook for guests, reveling in creating the most complicated dishes he could find, especially when hosting any number of bridge groups he and  and Betty played in.  He used his creative abilities to build many of the household electronics.  He created furniture and toys, and he even built an addition to his house.

He survived a fight with cancer in his early 60's and showed his gratitude for the care he received by volunteering in the  St. Luke's Visiting Nurses program, and subsequently for St. Luke's Hospital Anderson Campus for the next few decades.

Both his sister Marjorie (Neally) and his brother Bob preceded him in death. He is survived by his daughter, Nancy (Timothy) Franklin of Ash eville NC, sons David (Lynn) Norton of South Lake Tahoe, CA and Tom (Susan) Norton of Augusta, GA and seven grandchildren, Trevor, Torrey, Hunter, Reed, Madelyn, Harley and Kerry.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00am on Wednesday August 25 in the sanctuary at First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem or to Meals on Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley.  Arrangements, Pearson Funeral Home, Bethlehem.