Dr. Michael J. Norton III, 81, passed away on Monday, July 10, 2017.
Michael was the husband of Barbara “Bunny” Ponte Norton with whom he shared 55 years of marriage that began with a blind date.
Born and raised in New Bedford, he was the son of Michael J. Norton Jr. and Gertrude Brenton Norton. Michael attended Holy Family School and relished playing competitive team sports, exceling at baseball and basketball.
After graduating from Boston College as well as Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Michael served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Subsequently he returned to New Bedford where he opened his private dental practice. Michael was a member of the New Bedford Dental Association and the Massachusetts Dental Society.
For more than 50 years Michael was a member of the Country Club of New Bedford and, upon retirement, also became a member of Allendale Country Club. Whether up north or down south Michael enjoyed spending time on the links where he developed lifelong friendships. Michael leaves his loved ones and friends with the memory of a kind, selfless, and patient man.
A devoted family man, he is survived by his wife, four children, five grandchildren, three sisters, and many nieces and nephews. His immediate family includes: daughter Theresa Norton and husband Steve Romero; son Michael Norton and wife Nancy and children, Michael, Lucy and Nicholas; son Christopher Norton and wife Robin and children, Caroline and Joseph; daughter Judith Norton, PhD; sister Jane Mulvihill and husband LCDR James Mulvihill; sister Carol Norton Mengersen and husband Donald Mengersen (deceased); and sister Rosemary Norton Noe and husband James “Bud” Noe (deceased). His sister Patricia Norton Manley and her husband Edward L. "Ned" Manley, Jr. both preceded him in death.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, July 22, 2017 at 10 AM at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 783 Dartmouth Street, South Dartmouth, where friends may visit with the family beginning at 9:30 AM. Per Michael’s request, there will be no wake. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Mary’s Catholic Church Building Fund (South Dartmouth); Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, 230 Bonney St., New Bedford, MA 02744; or Holy Family-Holy Name School, 91 Summer St., New Bedford, 02740. Arrangements are made by Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.