Obituary for Rear Admiral Lafayette Ferguson (Ferg) Norton 
of Wilmington, NC 
February 17, 1939 - September 11, 2022. 

Ferguson went to his heavenly home, to be with Jesus on September 11th, 2022, at the age of 83, after an extended battle with cancer. Ferguson passed at home surrounded by many loved ones.  He surely fought a good fight, finished the race, and most assuredly kept his faith.

Lafayette Ferguson Norton was born on February 17, 1939, in Durham, North Carolina.  His parents were John William Roy Norton and Juanita Ferguson Norton.  Ferguson had two older sisters, Jean Norton Dickman, and Geraldine Norton Aquardro, who both preceded Ferguson in death. 

Ferguson Norton, a native of Raleigh, N.C., majored in English and graduated from the Navy ROTC program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. A member of the baseball team at Carolina, he was named all-conference as a junior and a senior. He participated in UNC's first trip to the College World Series as a Junior in 1960. While in the Navy, he also played for Team USA in the 1963 Pan-American games in Brazil earning a silver medal, second to Cuba.

Ferguson began his military career in 1961 and qualified as a naval aviator in 1962.  He became a flight instructor and was later assigned to the Strike Fighter Squadron V-F 143. Deployed to the Philippines in early 1970, he joined his unit for the final three months of their tour during the Vietnam War and returned to Southeast Asia for a second tour of duty. Ferg flew 94 combat missions during the war, accumulated 5,500 flight hours and more that 800 carrier landings mostly in the F-4 Phantom II jet fighter. His at-sea experience included duty aboard a destroyer, cruiser, battleship and carriers in the Atlantic, Pacific, Mediterranean and Indian Oceans. Admiral Norton served in numerous F-4 squadrons plus was an exchange pilot in a USAF fighter squadron. He commanded two F-4 squadrons, was Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station Oceana, VA, Commander, Naval Safety Center in Norfolk, VA and Commander Fleet Air Caribbean based at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico.

His awards include the Humanitarian Service Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Naval Officer Aviator Insignia, Command at Sea Insignia Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal (5), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal (2) The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, as well as other prestigious medals and ribbons. He returned to Washington DC, where he retired from the US Navy in December 1993. He reached the rank of Rear Admiral during his 32 years of military service. Beginning in early 1996, he became involved with the First Flight Centennial Foundation. He was Executive Director from 1998 to 2005.

Ferguson became a resident of Wilmington, NC in 2006. A faithful member of Christ Community Church, he was involved in a beloved community group and the Iron Leadership Men’s group.

Ferguson is survived by his wife, Linda Norton, and children, Lance Norton and wife Lara, Mark Norton, Stephanie Crisp, husband Kim, and Jeff Kerr. They have four granddaughters -Abbey, Ashley, Cassie, and Olivia, and one grandson Luke. Ferguson also had many beloved nieces and nephews as well as other extended family.

Source of obituary: Andrews Mortuary & Crematory, Wilmington, NC