NORMAN DEWAYNE SHEEN, of Cardston, Alberta, beloved husband of Alice Sheen, passed away peacefully in Cardston on the evening of January 9, 2023, at the age of 87 years. Norman is the loving father of four children: LeiLoni (Robert) Price; Douglas (Brenda) Sheen; Markita Sheen; and Gregory (Helen) Sheen. Norman also leaves behind 17 beloved grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, twin brother Raymond (Christine) Sheen, Stan (Eileen) Sheen, Kenneth Sheen, sister, Carol Johnson, sister-in-law Linda Sheen, and numerous nieces and nephews. Norman is predeceased by his parents, Grant and Helena Sheen, and a brother, Gordon, and two in-laws—Fred Johnson and Barbara Sheen.
Norman was born on August 14, 1935, in Cardston and raised in the communities of Kimball, Taylorville, and Jefferson just south of Cardston and enjoyed life on the farm where his father was employed. There were five boys born to Grant and Helena Sheen--Norman and Raymond (twins), Stanley, Gordon, Kenneth and then six years later a beautiful little girl, Carol. Norm was taught the value of hard work and the love of farming and caring for animals and he pursued that love of the land and animals throughout his entire life. Norman was a natural athlete and excelled in every sport. Every fall he and his brothers used to do a lot of hunting. He was the best shot and bagged numerous geese or ducks to bring home for his Mom to cook (or so they thought). He was an expert at making slingshots and was the best shot at hitting pigeons, telephone insulators or sparrows. The one sport he was not good at was fishing. He never quite figured that one out. He excelled in basketball and baseball and was the best all-round player on the basketball court and as a baseball catcher. He and all his brothers spent countless hours at the Jefferson School perfecting their basketball skills because their grandfather was caretaker of the school and they always had access to the gym. In his Grade 11 year in Jefferson, their team travelled to Edmonton (coached by Grant Jensen) and won the Provincial “B” Boys Championship in 1952.
After graduation, Norman attended BYU and pursued a BSc degree with a double major of Physical Education and Math. He returned home for one semester the next year to work putting the natural gas lines into Cardston in 1955 and also to earn money to support his twin brother who was serving a foreign mission in Norway at the time. He started dating Alice Faye Jensen during that semester who was still in High School, and they later eventually married in June, 1957, in the Cardston Alberta Temple. To that union were born four children—two girls (LeiLoni and Markita) and two boys (Douglas and Gregory)—and they are the pride of Norman’s life. He loved to be surrounded by his family and tried to teach his children the same work ethics he had been raised with. He purchased land on the East side of Cardston and went into partnership with Grant Jensen and they started raising purebred black Aberdeen Angus cattle together. From that time on he wanted his own land and to live on an acreage and in October, 1980, Norm and Alice bought the old Carl William’s place and moved to their acreage on the SE side of Town, called it Pine Ridge Farms, and have lived there for the past 43 years. He took great pride in the appearance of his home and yard and spent countless hours mowing lawns, trimming hedges, painting and repairing barns and sheds and grew a huge garden each year, providing vegetables and fruit for all his family and neighbors, and continued to plant a garden each year up to his death. He won many Cardston Community Beatification awards for his meticulous lawns, flower gardens, hedges and outbuildings
One of the highlights of Norman’s later life was in 2012 was when his son, Douglas and Kevin Quinton, were coaching the Cardston Cougars and Doug’s son, Riley, was in Grade 11. To an overflowing Cardston High School Gym of 2500 fans, they defeated the #1 provincially-ranked Calgary team Bishop O’Byrne to bring home the same trophy Norman’s team had won 58 years previous and had never had a provincial championship at CHS since. To put the icing on the cake, they repeated the provincial championship the next year also in 2013. Norman couldn’t get the perpetual grin off his face for a long time.
Norman taught in the Cardston West Wind School Division for 35 years, teaching and coaching at the Cardston High School for ten years and then when they built the new Elementary School on the West side of Town, was asked to be a Team Leader in Grades 5-6 and he finished the remainder of his teaching career at the Cardston Elementary School. Norman was a faithful member and always active in his LDS church and served in many callings throughout his life serving mostly with the youth and as Elder’s Quorum President. He was a Temple worker for over 30 years, working both in the Baptistry and as an Ordinance Worker for 22 years. He coached all his married life and received a Provincial Recognition Award for over 54 years of continuous coaching of softball, baseball, football at all levels of High School and Community teams. He was the coach of the Community Men’s Hi-Jacks Softball team who travelled to Cleveland, Ohio, to the Men’s World Slow-Pitch Championship Tournament. Even though they didn’t place in the championship ranking, it was an experience of a lifetime for him and his players.
Norman, who had been a healthy, hard-working, industrious man all his life, had a fall in February of 2020—just before COVID shut us all down and this was the beginning of the end. The last two years have been primarily spent in the hospital, from the infection in his whole body, amputation of his big toe, broken femur and broken hip to eventually being diagnosed with pneumonia which took his life. It was sad to see this man who wanted to get up and work every day be confined to a hospital bed with IV’s strapped to his arm; then not being able to walk without the aid of a walker or wheelchair. Norman’s favorite word was WORK—whether around his farm, on the basketball court or on the softball diamond. I sure hope there are lots of lawns to mow in Heaven because Norm will be foreman of the lawn mowing crew. We love you Norman and look forward to being with you again soon!!
Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, January 21st, at 11am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints- South Hill Chapel, 950 Main Street, Cardston, Alberta. Friends may meet the family at the church from 10-10:45 am prior to the service. Interment to follow in the Cardston Cemetery.
Service will be available to watch after the service.
Click to Send a Condolence to the Family
Norman was born on August 14, 1935, in Cardston and raised in the communities of Kimball, Taylorville, and Jefferson just south of Cardston and enjoyed life on the farm where his father was employed. There were five boys born to Grant and Helena Sheen--Norman and Raymond (twins), Stanley, Gordon, Kenneth and then six years later a beautiful little girl, Carol. Norm was taught the value of hard work and the love of farming and caring for animals and he pursued that love of the land and animals throughout his entire life. Norman was a natural athlete and excelled in every sport. Every fall he and his brothers used to do a lot of hunting. He was the best shot and bagged numerous geese or ducks to bring home for his Mom to cook (or so they thought). He was an expert at making slingshots and was the best shot at hitting pigeons, telephone insulators or sparrows. The one sport he was not good at was fishing. He never quite figured that one out. He excelled in basketball and baseball and was the best all-round player on the basketball court and as a baseball catcher. He and all his brothers spent countless hours at the Jefferson School perfecting their basketball skills because their grandfather was caretaker of the school and they always had access to the gym. In his Grade 11 year in Jefferson, their team travelled to Edmonton (coached by Grant Jensen) and won the Provincial “B” Boys Championship in 1952.
After graduation, Norman attended BYU and pursued a BSc degree with a double major of Physical Education and Math. He returned home for one semester the next year to work putting the natural gas lines into Cardston in 1955 and also to earn money to support his twin brother who was serving a foreign mission in Norway at the time. He started dating Alice Faye Jensen during that semester who was still in High School, and they later eventually married in June, 1957, in the Cardston Alberta Temple. To that union were born four children—two girls (LeiLoni and Markita) and two boys (Douglas and Gregory)—and they are the pride of Norman’s life. He loved to be surrounded by his family and tried to teach his children the same work ethics he had been raised with. He purchased land on the East side of Cardston and went into partnership with Grant Jensen and they started raising purebred black Aberdeen Angus cattle together. From that time on he wanted his own land and to live on an acreage and in October, 1980, Norm and Alice bought the old Carl William’s place and moved to their acreage on the SE side of Town, called it Pine Ridge Farms, and have lived there for the past 43 years. He took great pride in the appearance of his home and yard and spent countless hours mowing lawns, trimming hedges, painting and repairing barns and sheds and grew a huge garden each year, providing vegetables and fruit for all his family and neighbors, and continued to plant a garden each year up to his death. He won many Cardston Community Beatification awards for his meticulous lawns, flower gardens, hedges and outbuildings
One of the highlights of Norman’s later life was in 2012 was when his son, Douglas and Kevin Quinton, were coaching the Cardston Cougars and Doug’s son, Riley, was in Grade 11. To an overflowing Cardston High School Gym of 2500 fans, they defeated the #1 provincially-ranked Calgary team Bishop O’Byrne to bring home the same trophy Norman’s team had won 58 years previous and had never had a provincial championship at CHS since. To put the icing on the cake, they repeated the provincial championship the next year also in 2013. Norman couldn’t get the perpetual grin off his face for a long time.
Norman taught in the Cardston West Wind School Division for 35 years, teaching and coaching at the Cardston High School for ten years and then when they built the new Elementary School on the West side of Town, was asked to be a Team Leader in Grades 5-6 and he finished the remainder of his teaching career at the Cardston Elementary School. Norman was a faithful member and always active in his LDS church and served in many callings throughout his life serving mostly with the youth and as Elder’s Quorum President. He was a Temple worker for over 30 years, working both in the Baptistry and as an Ordinance Worker for 22 years. He coached all his married life and received a Provincial Recognition Award for over 54 years of continuous coaching of softball, baseball, football at all levels of High School and Community teams. He was the coach of the Community Men’s Hi-Jacks Softball team who travelled to Cleveland, Ohio, to the Men’s World Slow-Pitch Championship Tournament. Even though they didn’t place in the championship ranking, it was an experience of a lifetime for him and his players.
Norman, who had been a healthy, hard-working, industrious man all his life, had a fall in February of 2020—just before COVID shut us all down and this was the beginning of the end. The last two years have been primarily spent in the hospital, from the infection in his whole body, amputation of his big toe, broken femur and broken hip to eventually being diagnosed with pneumonia which took his life. It was sad to see this man who wanted to get up and work every day be confined to a hospital bed with IV’s strapped to his arm; then not being able to walk without the aid of a walker or wheelchair. Norman’s favorite word was WORK—whether around his farm, on the basketball court or on the softball diamond. I sure hope there are lots of lawns to mow in Heaven because Norm will be foreman of the lawn mowing crew. We love you Norman and look forward to being with you again soon!!
Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, January 21st, at 11am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints- South Hill Chapel, 950 Main Street, Cardston, Alberta. Friends may meet the family at the church from 10-10:45 am prior to the service. Interment to follow in the Cardston Cemetery.
Service will be available to watch after the service.
Click to Send a Condolence to the Family