Honoring John David Norman And The Community He Loved

A community can measure a life in trophies, titles, or years on the calendar, but the real count is simpler: how many people felt seen because you showed up. We start with a quick celebration of ten years of the George Real Estate Group on WHKP, then ground things with a practical Henderson County real estate market update. Even with loud national headlines, demand in Hendersonville and across Western North Carolina stays strong, inventory remains tight, and homes still move when price and condition match the moment. We also share where to find our open house schedule and how to follow along on social media and the podcast. 

From there, the tone shifts to something deeper. We’re joined by Craig Distal to honor John David Norman, a Hendersonville local whose passing left a real space in a lot of hearts. Craig takes us back to kindergarten at Bruce Drysdale, where John’s warm smile sparked a lifelong friendship, then forward through Hendersonville High School, athletics, coaching, and the steady way John encouraged others. If you’ve ever wondered what people mean when they say “he never met a stranger,” these stories make it real. 

We also talk about John’s faith and service, including his involvement with Main Street Baptist and First Baptist, his years with the Elks Lodge and its service projects, and his connection to the American Legion. Along the way, we reflect on John’s work as an appraiser, his sharp eye for homes, and the way he seemed to know every road in Henderson County by heart. 

Listen, share this with someone who knew John, and subscribe for more local real estate insight and Hometown Hero stories. If the show means something to you, please leave a review and tell us who you think deserves to be recognized next.

Transcript

Ten Years Of Local Good News

SPEAKER_02 0:00

The George Real Estate Group Radio broadcast is celebrating 10 years on WHKP. The George Real Estate Group is celebrating 10 years on the radio live every Thursday morning at 10.05 on WHKP 107.7 FM and AM 1450, and streaming online at WHKP.com. Each Friday morning at 8.45, the George Real Estate Group presents the Hometown Hero Award to someone in our community who goes above and beyond to make our hometown a better place to live. Here's this week's Hometown Hero Show. It's 844, and it's time for our George Real Estate Group Hometown Hero series. Every Friday morning, Noah and I get together and talk about good people in our community, and it's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it. You know, Noah?

SPEAKER_01 0:59

Someone someone's got to do it. Happy Friday, and so grateful to be here. It's certainly the highlight of my week where you and I get to to have amazing conversations and hear stories and and just share some amazing uh work being done in our community, people making a difference, and and the hometown hero series is is is it's a privilege to to do this every Friday.

SPEAKER_02 1:22

It really, really is. I I've been in broadcasting a long time and uh uh getting to the age where I like to give out some good news.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

You know? Yeah. Well, I mean, I love it. I mean, what we focus on expands and and we get to to share some positive stories, and it's that's what we love doing.

SPEAKER_02 1:40

It's good to have you back with us. Uh I know you're all caught up or you never left caught up with uh the real estate world and what's happening around

Henderson County Market Snapshot

SPEAKER_02 1:49

our area.

SPEAKER_01 1:49

Aaron Ross Powell Well, the community, uh I mean, our certainly the demand, it it's interesting. You know, there's uh talking about the noise or the news, right? I mean, there's a lot of negative news out there, but the market continues to move in Henderson County. Demand continues to be strong. There's still actually more homes sold in the last rolling 12 months than the previous 12 months. So the demand the demand continues, inventory levels are low. Days on market's a little bit longer, but like anything, you price it right. It's the you know, it's the condition, it's the price, it's the location, all those things come into can come in together. And homes are still selling. I mean, like we're still putting homes under contract every single week. I mean, like, it's moving. Buyers are still buying, sellers are still selling. Life happens, therefore, real estate happens. I mean, it's and it's it's amazing. We have

Open Houses And How To Listen

SPEAKER_01 2:37

amazing agents, we have amazing, amazing clients. I mean, like, um, I do have to mention though, we I mean, we're staying busy, and uh part of that is this weekend uh we actually have uh three open houses uh going on. Yes, uh three idle weiss and horseshoe Saturday uh from 11 to 3959 Silver Glen Way, uh 242 Carriage Summit Way are both on Sunday from two to four. I mean, like, I mean, we again people are out. People are looking. The people are looking, and we have some great inventory and homes that our clients can our our community can come out and check out. I invite people to to visit your website and and website, but also Facebook and Instagram, which where we post a lot of the again, the open houses. You can follow us on social media. We podcast all of our radio shows. We're here every Thursday morning as well at 10 a.m. sharing positive news about the real estate market.

SPEAKER_02 3:33

Fantastic.

Remembering John David Norman

SPEAKER_02 3:34

Well, uh, Noah, uh join me in uh welcoming uh Craig Distal to the microphones. Good morning, Craig. Good morning, guys. I hope you're doing well. We are doing well. Craig is here to talk with us, Noah, about uh his lifelong friend, John David Norman. Uh, today's show's a little bit on the unusual side. We're paying respects and uh and honoring uh John David Newman, who passed away last week here of Hendersonville. And Craig is uh a lifelong friend of John's, and and uh Craig's gonna tell us a little bit more about John and and his life. Uh it obviously touched his life, touched a lot of people, Craig.

SPEAKER_00 4:21

Yeah, he he just had a way about him. He had a a a warm smile, he was friendly, he just he I met him the first day of kindergarten. I walked into the class and I was scared, and there were kids running everywhere, and I saw this guy sitting there with a big smile on his face, and uh I I said, you know, to myself, I said, I I want to be his friend. And there were many, many others that over the years wanted to be his friend, and he he was he loved Hendersonville and Henderson County, and we're just blessed to have known him.

SPEAKER_02 4:54

Well, Craig, where was that uh kindergarten uh occurrence? What school?

SPEAKER_00 4:59

It was at Bruce Drysdale, and uh we went all through school together. Um John's dad, Gene Norman, went to Hendersonville and was on the state championship basketball team in 1952, and his dad wore number eight, and that was always John's favorite number.

SPEAKER_02 5:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:18

And uh John played on uh baseball and basketball, and uh his senior year he was the captain and went to maybe about the semifinals or quarterfinals of the state uh playoffs. Uh but he just uh the family is well known with Hendersonville High. Uh John's older brother Mike coached the girls' basketball team for many years, and John was actually the JV girls coach in basketball for many years and uh assisted Mike. So he he touched a lot of lives. I was looking at his um obituary, and a lot of his former players were talking about you know what a positive impact he had on them.

SPEAKER_01 6:02

I mean, quite quite the athlete, but more importantly, just quite the human being. He he was so kind and friendly, as you you mentioned, and you said everybody wanted to be uh his friend. He was so friendly. I I I over the years with him and as an appraiser, uh had many opportunities to interact with him, and just an incredible human being, and and the difference he made in so many people's lives. Uh, you know, it you also uh you know you you literally you guys literally grew up together uh since kindergarten and the stories I'm sure you guys could

Faith And A Life Of Service

SPEAKER_01 6:37

tell. Um but and and then he was really involved in his church as well.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

Yes, he um he grew up going to Main Street Baptist, and then um as an adult he switched over to First Baptist, and he was really active in both, and uh just it meant a lot to him. His faith was really important. His his mom and dad, uh they set a good foundation, their whole family, and uh so he he he loved First Baptist, he loved Main Street Baptist, and uh yeah, you talk about appraisals. Uh I went with him one time to do an appraisal, and his his knowledge of of every aspect of a house and the systems and the you know what's of value and what isn't it, it was it's amazing. He and he had a photographic memory of people and names. We would we would go to the beach or something and he'd say, You see that guy over there? We played basketball against him, he played for Owen, or that guy over. You know, we we're just always running into somebody, and and I say, No, that's not and he'd go over and talk to him, and sure enough, he he could just he could just remember so much, you know, going around doing appraisals. He he didn't need a GPS. He knew pretty much every street in Henderson County, and uh it's he was just such a a great guy. And uh yeah, people people enjoyed being around him, and he he was very genuine, and he he just made you feel like he you know he knew you forever, even if he just met you.

SPEAKER_02 8:08

The uh uh obituary, you m you mentioned it, uh Craig, and I'm I'm looking at it also. Uh there's so many activities and and things that he was a part of, uh like playing golf at the Hendersonville Country Club and uh and a member of the Elks Lodge and a mere a member of the American Legion, in addition to the church work you talk about. And so uh yes, he did touch a lot of lives. He was involved he was involved with a lot of things.

SPEAKER_00 8:41

Yeah, he I think he was a member of the Elks for 32 years, and that was uh one of his many families. He he loved it. Uh he and his wife Tessa and their son Davis, they were active with the Elks. Um they loved the service projects. Uh John liked that there's a faith faith aspect of the Elks. And uh yeah, his dad, I mentioned, uh fought in the Korean War. And so John was a member of the American Legion, and everybody down there knew him, and uh yeah, just touched a lot of people. And in in his you know, after we got uh got a little older, he he played basketball, uh adult league basketball at First Baptist, him and uh Kevin Staggs, uh, and they they had some really good teams. So he it just it just went on and on. But uh he loved Hendersonville and he loved being around people and uh he just gave back a lot. That was just who he was.

SPEAKER_02 9:40

Well, all of the um accolades and the the responses that you see on his uh obituary online it are just uh folks uh who really enjoyed being around him and and are leaving some of the most kind words. I've gotta tell you that here at WHKP we've been promoting all week that we would talk with you about John and uh wow, our social media stuff and and activity with listeners, just wanting to know how we're gonna be able to live. I have to work, I'm gonna be on the road, how do I listen? You know, it we've been getting that all week long.

SPEAKER_00 10:23

Yeah, it it's uh people just you know, he he just was everybody's friend, and he would do anything for you. Uh and yeah, he he he was just a genuine article, and he he touched so many people. Uh he had such a great family, his brothers Mike and Steve, and his sister Linda, and uh his mom, Miss Hazel. She's

Legacy Stories That Still Echo

SPEAKER_00 10:48

uh still living in their house in in downtown. And yeah, the this the family's very loved, and and he was uh gosh, he was just he he touched everybody. You know, I something I noticed the other day is I mentioned his dad wore number eight, and that was uh John's favorite number, and the service tomorrow, uh the date is August 8th, so it's gonna be 8-8. Oh nice. I just thought, you know, I don't know. I maybe they picked it, I probably they did, but um it was just the symmetry of it is is really something to me.

SPEAKER_01 11:25

That's amazing. 8-8, and his favorite number was eight. It's again, sounds like you guys had an incredible and special friendship. Um, and uh just it's it's the mark that John left on you, and again, it's um it's amazing and grateful that you're able to share and honor John and and share his story and and remember him and and less and talking about the impact he had on on yourself and and somebody around him and the difference he made in our community. And then you never know, right? I mean, but uh and then his family and the legacy he he's left. So I mean he's it's a big it's a big hole uh that that we have uh with him gone.

SPEAKER_00 12:10

Absolutely, and and everybody just kind of leaning on our faith and leaning on our memories, and uh uh just the it's hard, but we'll we'll soldier on. Um you know, one of the things he was very athletic. Uh one of the things I also like to point out is he was our sophomore class vice president and he was our junior class president. Uh he he had a role, you know, he had a good role in our senior play. So he he was just really, you know, he was all about uh the not just the athletics, but the academics and just everything. Uh we he and I one year we went over to East Tennessee State to basketball camp. Um my sister lived over there. She was my older sister was going to Johnson uh to ETSU. And we went over there and and John got named the camp MVP. Uh and he, you know, I thought we did we didn't know anybody over there, and he he you know made friends with everybody, but his he was such a good athlete. Uh yeah, he yeah, he was something else.

SPEAKER_02 13:22

So uh gosh, Greg, I I really appreciate you uh doing this. Uh you came recommended uh by Lin Stags.

SPEAKER_01 13:30

Yeah, you mentioned Kevin and you guys playing basketball.

SPEAKER_02 13:33

Yeah, and that's how we got hooked up with you, and we really appreciate your uh your sincerity and and uh thank you for honoring a real friend, John David New uh Norman. We'll be uh eulogized tomorrow in funeral services. So uh again, Craig, thank you so much. And if we can ever be of help to you, let us know.

SPEAKER_00 13:58

All right. Well, you you guys have a great day, and I appreciate the opportunity. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_02 14:03

Thank you, Craig.

SPEAKER_01 14:04

Okay, well yeah, I mean again it's amazing. And I and I and John uh and I uh he appraised so many of our properties. Yeah. And we it was that's how I I got to interact with him and know him uh through the real estate industry. He was a remarkable appraiser and and just an all-around great, great human being, and and again, his his faith was definitely uh part of his his story.

SPEAKER_02 14:28

Yeah, uh obviously so. Uh and I like I said, I never had the privilege, but it's been a lot of reaction to people uh wanting to hear us talk about John David Norman.

Next Week’s Guest And Wrap-Up

SPEAKER_02 14:43

And uh so next week uh we will be talking to Barbara Bach, and she's got a uh uh family farm out in the country where she welcomes all kinds of animals. And we're gonna meet Barbara next week. You've already had the privilege.

SPEAKER_01 15:01

Yes, we do. Oh, yeah, that's right. We have a fun story of how we met, and we'll talk about that next week. But we love doing this every Friday morning, the Hometown Hero series.

SPEAKER_02 15:10

Well, uh the the George Real Estate Group located in Flat Rock. I saw some, we've got about a minute left. Uh saw some social media footage. A friend of mine had been in Flat Rock and was taking video of the row. Oh, yeah, Rainbow Row. And there was George Real Estate's door.

SPEAKER_01 15:27

It's it's a dangerous place for location between the barbecue and the bakery, but we love it. We love being part of that uh Rainbow Road there in Flat Rock, but serving all of Western North Carolina and the upstate too, whether it's residential or commercial. Again, grateful, grateful to serve the community.

SPEAKER_02 15:42

Well, we invite you to visit your uh websites and Facebook pages, Instagram, all of and then, of course, coming up in just a few minutes, we'll have the podcast. And this is one that folks are gonna want to share. I know my sister, who lives in Morganton, texted me last night. Said, can you send me a link to? You know, so yeah, it'll be up in just a few minutes. Absolutely. And join us again next Friday morning for the George Real Estate Group Hometown Hero Series here on WHKP.

Contact Info And Closing Message

SPEAKER_02 16:13

The George Real Estate Group is located in Flat Rock, North Carolina, near Hendersonville in Henderson County. You can find them online at realestatebygreg.com. The George Real Estate Group can be reached at 828-3930134 or stop by their office at 2720 Greenville Highway, Flat Rock, North Carolina. Tune in live each week on Thursdays at 1005 a.m. on WHKP 107.7 FM and 1450 AM, or stream online at WHKP.com or download these podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. The George Real Estate Group brings you the WHKP Hometown Hero Series every Friday morning at 845.

SPEAKER_01 17:02

Maybe the house feels a little too big these days. The stairs a little steeper. The pace of life a little too fast. But what if your next move wasn't about letting go? It was about making space. For peace, for freedom, for what matters most. At the George Real Estate Group, we understand that real estate isn't just about the house. It's about transitions, timing, and trust. We've helped thousands of families in Western North Carolina make smart, thoughtful moves. Closer to nature, closer to family, closer to home. So when you're ready to write size, simplify it, or start fresh, we'll be here. The George Real Estate Group. Local, trusted, proven. Call us today, 828-393-0134. Find us online at realestatebygreg.com because your next chapter deserves to feel just right.