Norwood Seymour Jr.

Norwood C. "Bear" Seymour, Jr. was born July 14, 1932, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Norwood Seymour, Sr. and Lillie Mae Seymour. He was educated in the Memphis Public Schools System, where he was a member of the marching band and track team. His talent earned him several music scholarships, and he attended Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical & Normal College (Arkansas AM&N) in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. His college years were interrupted when he was called to serve in the Korean War. Norwood returned home a proud U.S. Army veteran and completed his degree at Arkansas AM&N, later pursuing graduate studies at Indiana University in Bloomington. Norwood went on to become a high school history teacher, as well as a basketball and baseball coach at Ralph Bunche High School in Benton, Arkansas, where he loved working with young people. He later left teaching to serve as a Head Start Director with the Community Action Program, and he spent many years with the U.S. Department of Commerce as a Community Partnership Specialist with the Bureau of the Census. Along the way, he found time to volunteer as a coach for a women's tennis team and spent over 35 years working professionally as a jazz musician, a passion he carried throughout his life. Norwood often said that we are blessed to serve others, and he counted it a privilege to have had the chance to do so. He embodied that belief through decades of service at Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in North Little Rock, Arkansas, where he was a longtime officer, Deacon, Sunday School Superintendent, and Chairman of the Deacon's Board. He was also a proud Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., a brotherhood he cherished. Norwood shared over 67 years of marriage with his beloved wife, Frankie H. Seymour, who preceded him in death. He was the loving father of one son and three daughters: Norwood Harold Seymour (Sandra), Gale Harwell (Darrell), Nadalynn Carpenter (Bernard), and Cheryl Kelly (Linzay). He was also a devoted grandfather to Allison Carpenter, Monica Carpenter, Linzay "Scooter" Kelly, and Alan Harwell, and a cherished brother to Yvonne Reeves of Memphis, Tennessee.

Norwood Seymour Jr.

July 14, 1932 - August 3, 2026