Norman Paul Balliviero Jr.

Norman Paul Balliviero Jr. passed from his worldly pain on April 24, 2021 at Ochsner Hospital in New Orleans, LA. He was the son of the late Norman Paul Balliviero Sr. and Frances Lange Balliviero Dixon. He was born at his home in Buras, LA on February 7, 1941 and had recently celebrated his 80th birthday.

He is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of almost 60 years Glenda Ragas Balliviero. Father of Tammy Faith Balliviero and Michael Dale Balliviero. He was the brother of Mary Balliviero Rankin Guinn (Charlie) and the late Lloyd Joseph Balliviero. He was grandfather of Abbey Marie Balliviero Poyadou and Jason Thomas Poyadou (Poppy’s personal PA). Great–grandfather of Wyatt Levi Poyadou (Poppy’s Happy Pill and Little Buddy). Also, the grandfather of Joseph Anthony Balliviero (Daria), Quentin Michael Balliviero (Brittany), Ava Marie Balliviero, great-grandfather of Braysen Balliviero, Camden Balliviero, Colten Ends and step great-grandfather of 2 other boys. He was known as “Poppy” to many other young adults.

Norman was a 1960 graduate of Buras High School where he was an outstanding fullback in football and excelled in several areas of track. It was in those high school years that he met Glenda and their love story began. They lived in Boothville, LA when they started their family but eventually moved to Belle Chasse, LA after losing 2 homes to hurricanes.

Norman had always dedicated his life to children. He was one of the original organizers of the Plaquemines Parish Bantam League Football program also serving as coach and Parish Director all being volunteer positions. He was the Leader of a Weblo Den and Asst. Boy Scout Leader of Troop 106 for countless years in which he enjoyed taking the boys on many camping trips, hiking excursions, snow skiing and a canoe trip to Charles L. Summers Canoe Base in Canada.

He served two terms as Plaquemines Parish School Board Member of District 4 in the 1980’s. He so loved serving on the board that he never accepted pay but donated his salary to the 3 schools in his district - Belle Chasse Elementary, Belle Chasse Middle and Belle Chasse High.

Norman started his career in the oil industry as a Roustabout for Standard Oil of California Co. He worked on offshore oil platforms near the mouth of the Mississippi River, eventually getting promoted to Pumper/Gauger and Tank Battery Operator. In 1970 Norman became an Engineering Assistant and later Chemical and Process Foreman. His employer, then Chevron, asked him to teach a class in gas measurement and gas dehydration. That led to a promotion as Trainer at the Chevron training center in Harahan. In 1987, he was the content specialist for the Howell Training-Glycol Dehydration manual. When Chevron moved the center to Lafayette in 1989 Norman became a Lead Trainer at the Chevron Training Center in Lafayette, LA and their life changed drastically having to leave family and ending Glenda’s teaching career in the school system. He was always proud that his children, Tammy and Michael, had followed in his footsteps both working for Chevron.

This ended Norman’s School Board position but he did volunteer with big projects at the BC Primary School including the Playground and the USA License Plate project which took endless hours of cutting license plates, which he and Glenda collected from all over the country, into the shape of each state.

After retiring he joined the Lafayette Garden Club with Glenda in 1998 and was their photographer in addition to assisting with many other projects. This was where their Horticultural Journey began. He knew Glenda’s love of gardening and actually signed them up for the LSU Master Gardener Program in 2000. They both became very active in the program and he helped Glenda develop a Children’s Garden at the Lafayette Master Gardeners Demo Garden. Together they took over 10,000 children through the gardens and were awarded the International Master Gardener Excellence in Children’s Gardening. Norman was a member of the Louisiana State Horticulture Society where he and Glenda received a Life Member plaque. He enjoyed traveling with this group of horticulturist on many trips with visiting gardens. He served as a board member on the Louisiana Society for Horticultural Research for many years and his Presidency for the last 4 years just recently concluded. He and Glenda were awarded the Silver Medallion, an exceptional honor for their dedication to horticulture.

He was an avid photographer and had many of his photos appear in and on the LSU Ag Get It Growing calendar.

Fishing had always been his greatest hobby and enjoyed showing friends around the bayous. One of his greatest fishing buddies was Abbey his granddaughter. His happy place was going to and staying in the bayou at Michael’s camp with family and friends. He also enjoyed wood carving and in fact was featured with his carving at the Plaquemines Parish Day for the World’s Fair in New Orleans, LA in 1984. He enjoyed working with wood, building pirogues, various pieces of furniture and various structures for their gardens which added lots of character.

Traveling was his love and he and Glenda visited all 50 states, all but 2 of the provinces of Canada and almost 30 countries in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Camping was by far their greatest mode of travel and often family accompanied them. He and Glenda rewarded granddaughter Abbey for her excellent grades to travel with them and by the time she completed 8th grade she had traveled to all 50 states. Their old dog, Peppy, traveled with them to all states except Hawaii and North Dakota while Snuggles was their constant companion with them for his entire fourteen years of life. In their later years destinations were chosen by gardens to visit.

Norman was very adventurous and he often said if he’d written a book of his childhood it would have been as good as Mark Twain. He loved riding motorcycles and in his later years actually made several long trips to Sturgis, SD, Glacier National Park, MT and The Tail of the Dragon in Deals Gap, TN with his son Michael. For their 50th anniversary they went to Ecuador and it was there that he bungee jumped at one of the tallest bridges. He was one of the most daring people to many and in fact many considered him to be the strongest person and also the most hardheaded they knew.

His life changed fast and the last 3 years left him battling one health issue after another but always with Glenda by his side. As he told her recently, his heart was tired and his battery was running out.

Donations in his memory may be made to the Lafayette Garden Club, 105 Ellerslie Court, Lafayette, LA 70503-5965.

Private services were held at Mothe Funeral Home. Family and friends are encouraged to share their condolences, stories and memories by visiting: www.mothefunerals.com .