LD Norton

LD Ray Norton, age 60, of Sand Lake, Michigan, passed away on Saturday, August 22, 2026. LD was born on February 22, 1966 in Belding, MI to Janice Norton and the late Walter Ray Norton Sr. He served his country in the United States Marine Corps, but of all the titles he held throughout his life, none meant more to him than Dad, Grandpa, Uncle, and Son.

LD’s greatest pride and joy was his family. He was immensely proud of his children, grandchildren, nieces, and great-nephews, and there was little he wouldn’t do for the people he loved. He was someone his family knew they could call when they needed help, advice, or simply someone to be there.

A big kid at heart, LD had a way of making family gatherings more fun. He loved to joke around, stir up a little trouble, and was often the instigator—and he wouldn’t have had it any other way. To his nieces, he was the ultimate “funcle”—the fun uncle who could always be counted on for laughter, a little mischief, and a good time. While the adults gathered together, it wasn’t unusual to find LD with the kids, playing right alongside them. He loved Spider-Man, and perhaps fittingly, there was always a playful, youthful part of him that never went away.

Some of the family’s most treasured memories with LD were made outdoors. He loved hunting and fishing, and when his children and nieces were younger, many summer days were spent aboard his pontoon creating memories that they would carry with them long after those days on the lake were over. As the family grew, new traditions and memories followed. His grandchildren and great-nephews especially loved going on quad rides with him—another opportunity for Grandpa and Uncle LD to be one of the kids.

To his family, LD was so much more than the memories they made together. He was the person they could depend on. He was the dad you called when you needed advice, the grandpa who made childhood more fun, the brother who could always be counted on, the uncle who was always ready to joke around, and the son who was deeply loved. His presence in his family’s lives cannot be replaced, but the love, laughter, advice, stories, and countless memories he gave them will remain.

LD is survived by his mother, Janice Norton; his son, Alex (Brittany) Norton; his daughter, Whitney (Chris) Hammond; and his five beloved grandchildren, Octobyr, Roarke, Idalia, Alice, and Scarlett.

He is also survived by his brother, Walter Ray Norton Jr.; his sister, Linda Lehman; his nieces, Brooke (Tyler) Case, Taylor Lehman, and Lindsay Lehman (fiancé Blake Fisher); and his great-nephews, Ross Taiden, Mason, Owen, and Ryker, along with extended family and friends who loved him dearly.

LD was preceded in death by his father, Walter Ray Norton Sr.

A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, September 13, 2026 from noon to 3:00 PM at the Pierson Fire Barn, 190 Grand St., Pierson, MI 49339. In keeping with LD’s love for children and the kind of legacy his family believes he would want to leave behind, in lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made in LD’s memory to the Jayden Lamb Memorial Foundation, P.O. Box 1083, Midland, MI 48641, helping bring hope, comfort, and support to children battling cancer and their families.