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Funeral Set for Longtime Crown Heights Pastor, Rev. Clarence Norman Sr.

 A funeral service for Clarence Norman Sr. will be held in Crown Heights on Saturday, July 18, 2015, his church announced.
A funeral service for Clarence Norman Sr. will be held in Crown Heights on Saturday, July 18, 2015, his church announced.
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First Baptist Church of Crown Heights

CROWN HEIGHTS — A memorial services for longtime Crown Heights pastor Rev. Clarence Norman Sr. will take place later this week, his church announced over the weekend.

Norman, who led the First Baptist Church of Crown Heights for over 60 years, will be remembered at a “homegoing service” at the Eastern Parkway church at 10 a.m. on Saturday, the church announced on its Facebook page.

A public viewing will be held at the church from 12 to 6 p.m. on Friday, followed by a wake from 6 to 8 p.m.

Norman died last week at the age of 85, survived by his wife Ellen and five children, including former assembly member Clarence Norman Jr.

The pastor’s work in the community extended well beyond his church’s walls; throughout his life, he worked as a teacher in two Bedford-Stuyvesant public schools, as a chaplain of the state’s Division of Parole and as the founder of the Local Development Corp. of Crown Heights in 1987, which aims to create housing for seniors.

Brooklyn leaders poured out condolences for the church community following Norman’s death last week. In a statement, Crown Heights assembly member Diana Richardson — who attended First Baptist with her family as a young person — described him as a “pillar of the community.”

“Through his ministry and his work in building opportunity for the residents of Crown Heights, Reverend Norman has built a legacy of love and respect that will long outlive his time on Earth,” she said.

First Baptist Church of Crown Heights is located at 450 Eastern Parkway at the corner of Rogers Avenue. For more information, visit the church’s website.