Serving With Joy
The impactful life of the 2024 Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian Award recipient, Father Norm Douglas
In 1933, a young woman named Elsie May Goodall boarded a bus to leave her hometown of Staten Island, New York. She set her sights on the glitter of Tinseltown, where she found work in the film studios of RKO and MGM. There, she also met a man named Landon Douglas, who became her husband before abandoning her when she became pregnant.
While this sounds in some ways like the opening scene of a Hollywood film, it's actually the prologue to Norman Keith Douglas' story.
Father Norm, as he's known to so many, was born in Los Angeles in 1947 to Elsie, who raised him as a single mother at a time when doing so was not common and was often looked down on. But Father Norm's mother raised him with pride, sending a Christmas card and photo – one of his most cherished possessions – to family and friends of her holding her beaming baby boy.
That pride and joy Elsie instilled in young Norm is still evident in him today and is one of the numerous reasons he was selected as the 55th recipient of Akron Community Foundation's Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian Award.
Father Norm arrived in the Rubber City at the age of 4, after his mother met and married a teacher from Akron while he was vacationing in California. Though his mother and stepfather separated three years later, Elsie made North Hill home for her and her son. Father Norm's time in North Hill laid the foundation for his values – in particular, his belief that all of God's people are connected and deserving of love, respect and understanding.
As his once all-white neighborhood became more integrated, Father Norm remembers specifically one of his first encounters with overt racism. He was the only white member of his Boy Scout troop when a scoutmaster at his still predominantly white church suggested that Father Norm should encourage the Black members of his troop to transfer to the Ellet troop because white parents were concerned about having their children join a troop with so many Black members.
This did not sit well with Father Norm and, in fact, was a pivotal moment that shaped his life's work. Though Father Norm's attendance at church declined over his childhood, his compassion for others remained steadfast.
When he did eventually return to his faith in his senior year of high school, he attended – for the first time – a Catholic church. Father Norm was drawn to Catholicism immediately. He began attending regularly during his freshman year at the University of Akron and was received into the Catholic Church on Christmas Eve 1965.
During a church retreat a mere six weeks later, Father Norm says God called him into ministry.
"I remember saying to God, 'I'm just not serious enough. I was the class clown,'" said Father Norm. "And this came loud and clear: 'That's why I want you. I want your joy.'"
Father Norm was ordained a priest on June 8, 1974, by the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, and he celebrated his 50th anniversary in the priesthood this past June.
After serving in local Catholic churches for many years, Father Norm met city councilman and attorney Larry Vuillemin. Larry had recently suffered a stroke at the young age of 35 and was struggling with his faith. He sought out Father Norm for counseling. Their initial meeting sparked a fast friendship that ultimately led to them founding Heart to Heart Communications in 1990.
Heart to Heart was focused on helping people infuse spirituality into their work lives to make them more compassionate and purpose-driven leaders. Over the years, they worked with numerous local organizations and professionals – from health care workers to attorneys to police officers – as well as people across the country and even the globe. Heart to Heart took the pair to locations such as New York City, Romania and Nepal.
Father Norm's work over the years has also earned him many accolades and awards, though for those who know him, it's clear that's never been the reason for his work. He simply cares about other people.
After nearly three decades of growing Heart to Heart, Father Norm felt called back to ministry within the church. In 2016, he returned to St. Vincent de Paul Parish, where he continues to serve today.
Father Norm has always asked himself, "Is the parish our world, or is the world our parish?" Seeing the entire world as his parish, Father Norm stays true to the commitment he made when he was ordained 50 years ago: to find joy in bringing joy to others.
About the Award
The Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian Award was created in 1969 to honor the late Bert Polsky, president of the former Polsky's Department Store and founding trustee of Akron Community Foundation. Each year, the community foundation presents the Polsky Humanitarian Award to the individual or couple who best exemplifies Bert Polsky's selfless dedication to humanitarian causes in Akron. Honorees come from a variety of backgrounds, from business executives to lifelong volunteers. For more information about the award and past recipients, visit akroncf.org/Polsky.