Norman Luttbeg

Norman Richard Luttbeg died peacefully in hospice outside St. Paul, Minnesota on August 7, 2022. Norm was born 83 years ago on Dec 7, 1938 in Somerset, Kentucky to Bernard Urban and Juliet (Gudorp) Luttbeg and grew up in St Louis, Missouri. Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Texas A&M University, Norm was deeply respected in his field, author of many books and textbooks, and endlessly in search of better data to understand voter behavior and the decision-making of state and local lawmakers. He also took his responsibility as a teacher seriously and taught thousands of college students about state and local governments examined with an eye always on what the empirical data could tell us.

Norm was also an adventurer. With his best travel partner, his wife Alice, Norm ventured to all seven continents in his lifetime. He was always dreaming and planning for the next trip, slightly off the beaten path and away from the crowds. He led students to study abroad in England, Italy and Australia, and travelled for the State Department to South Korea and Azerbaijan. His children remember long summer trips in a van, “knocking around” the western United States, hiking, camping and eating gorp. They also remember sandy, sunburned car trips home from the Gulf Coast beaches of Florida, where Norm raced Hobie Cats in the 1970s.

Norm had a better than average palate for food, beer, a good red wine, vanilla ice cream and excellent sound quality. After moving inland to Texas, Norm became a high-end stereophile, listening to countless hours of jazz and other good music while fiddling with his stereo system to get as close as possible to true sound fidelity. His family never really got it, but his fellow stereophiles did.

Loving husband for almost 62 years to Alice, spotted first across the dance floor when they were both 18 (he cut in on an older fraternity brother). Rock solid dad to Carrie (Emmett) and Barney (Mary). Fun Papa to grandchildren Rory, Kate and Laura Coleman and Ella (Jay) Ogle and Henry Luttbeg. Big brother to Michael (Bonnie) and David (Lizbeth) Luttbeg. Lifelong friend to many, including those gone before him. A dog person through and through - nothing made him laugh like the antics of a goofy dog. Good job dad, we think you got every last drop of adventure out of this life.

Service to be held at a later date. The family prefers that any memorials please be sent in his memory to Hospice Brazos Valley (https://www.hospicebrazosvalley.org/) . We also wish to acknowledge and thank Good Life Senior Living memory care and St. Croix Hospice for their compassionate care during this time.