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Norman "Kent" Stork, age 66, of Henderson, Nevada, formerly of Fremont, died Sunday April 30, 2017, at St. Rose Siena Hospital in Henderson.
Kent was born May 2, 1950, in Fremont to Norman L. and Joan (Vogt) Stork. Kent was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, north of Arlington, Nebraska. He graduated from Arlington High School in 1968 as a Regent Scholar and class salutatorian. He attended the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, graduating in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech and English. He married Joyce Weinhold on December 29, 1970, at Faith Lutheran Church in Gering, Nebraska. He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Henderson and was a former member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Fremont.
Kent taught for one year in Lexington Public Schools before becoming a florist. As he left, his pastor gave him an African violet. It died within two months, but it changed the course of his life. He researched and soon mastered growing and hybridizing African violets. He opened Kent's Flowers, in October of 1977 in Arlington, specializing in African violets. In 2002, the couple began writing a column for beginning growers in the African Violet Magazine which led to the book You Can Grow African Violets published in 2007 by the African Violet Society of America.
In 1990, Kent opened a second store in Fremont, Nebraska, later closing the original location. The business closed in August of 2016, after 39 years of operation. In 2013 he was inducted into the Arlington Education Foundation Hall of Fame.
In preparation for retirement, Kent auditioned at the Omaha Community Playhouse in the summer of 2014 and went on to appear in a total of five Omaha productions. When the couple retired to Henderson, Nevada, he appeared in a role at the Theatre in the Valley, where he was performing when he became ill.
Kent was preceded in death by his parents. His survivors include his wife, Joyce; sons Zachary (Janna) Stork of Henderson, and Nathaniel Stork of Weaverville, California; grandchildren William and Lydia Stork of Henderson; sisters Janine (Stan) Carlson and Kristen (Jeff) Hallstrom of Arlington; brothers-in-law Frank (Mariana) Weinhold of Madison, Wisconsin, Willard (Fredella) Weinhold of Bennington, Nebraska, and Alan (Pat) Weinhold of Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
A memorial service will be held at Grace Lutheran Church, 2657 Horizon Ridge Parkway, in Henderson, Nevada, on Tuesday, May 9, at 6 PM with a visitation from 4:30 to 5:30 PM preceding the service.
A visitation will be held on Friday, May 12, 2017, from 4 to 8 PM with family present at Ludvigsen Mortuary, 1249 E 23rd Street, in Fremont, Nebraska. A family service will be held at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 8951 Co Rd 9, Arlington, Nebraska, on Saturday, May 13, at 1 PM, in conjunction with the service for Kent's uncle, Floyd Stork, who died January 31, 2017 in California. A private burial service at St. Paul's Lutheran Cemetery will follow.
Memorials are suggested for the LCMS World Missions, the Omaha Community Playhouse, or the African Violet Society of America.
Online guestbook at www.Ludvigsenmortuary.com
Kent was born May 2, 1950, in Fremont to Norman L. and Joan (Vogt) Stork. Kent was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, north of Arlington, Nebraska. He graduated from Arlington High School in 1968 as a Regent Scholar and class salutatorian. He attended the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, graduating in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech and English. He married Joyce Weinhold on December 29, 1970, at Faith Lutheran Church in Gering, Nebraska. He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Henderson and was a former member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Fremont.
Kent taught for one year in Lexington Public Schools before becoming a florist. As he left, his pastor gave him an African violet. It died within two months, but it changed the course of his life. He researched and soon mastered growing and hybridizing African violets. He opened Kent's Flowers, in October of 1977 in Arlington, specializing in African violets. In 2002, the couple began writing a column for beginning growers in the African Violet Magazine which led to the book You Can Grow African Violets published in 2007 by the African Violet Society of America.
In 1990, Kent opened a second store in Fremont, Nebraska, later closing the original location. The business closed in August of 2016, after 39 years of operation. In 2013 he was inducted into the Arlington Education Foundation Hall of Fame.
In preparation for retirement, Kent auditioned at the Omaha Community Playhouse in the summer of 2014 and went on to appear in a total of five Omaha productions. When the couple retired to Henderson, Nevada, he appeared in a role at the Theatre in the Valley, where he was performing when he became ill.
Kent was preceded in death by his parents. His survivors include his wife, Joyce; sons Zachary (Janna) Stork of Henderson, and Nathaniel Stork of Weaverville, California; grandchildren William and Lydia Stork of Henderson; sisters Janine (Stan) Carlson and Kristen (Jeff) Hallstrom of Arlington; brothers-in-law Frank (Mariana) Weinhold of Madison, Wisconsin, Willard (Fredella) Weinhold of Bennington, Nebraska, and Alan (Pat) Weinhold of Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
A memorial service will be held at Grace Lutheran Church, 2657 Horizon Ridge Parkway, in Henderson, Nevada, on Tuesday, May 9, at 6 PM with a visitation from 4:30 to 5:30 PM preceding the service.
A visitation will be held on Friday, May 12, 2017, from 4 to 8 PM with family present at Ludvigsen Mortuary, 1249 E 23rd Street, in Fremont, Nebraska. A family service will be held at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 8951 Co Rd 9, Arlington, Nebraska, on Saturday, May 13, at 1 PM, in conjunction with the service for Kent's uncle, Floyd Stork, who died January 31, 2017 in California. A private burial service at St. Paul's Lutheran Cemetery will follow.
Memorials are suggested for the LCMS World Missions, the Omaha Community Playhouse, or the African Violet Society of America.
Online guestbook at www.Ludvigsenmortuary.com