Norman M. Dahl

Dahl, Norman M.
Dahl, Norman M., passed away on Wednesday, April 17th, 2013 at the age of 91 after a lifetime devoted to his family, friends, and community service. He was supported, sustained, and inspired by the love of his life, Clarice, over the course of a sixty-two year marriage which, in retrospect was too short. He fathered, coached, and counseled three sons, Greg, Chris, and Gary. Before setting off on a forty-year career spanning both coasts, Europe, and the Middle East, he served his country during WWII. Upon graduation and commissioning from the USC NROTC in 1945, he was assigned to the Seventh Fleet Amphibious Force as a Naval Intelligence Officer, serving in the South Pacific.

After WWII he started his career with Security First National Bank, in Los Angeles, as a Security Analyst. In 1950 he married Clarice and left the bank to join the Los Angeles office of the Chicago based investment banking firm, John Nuveen & Co., as an Investment Banking Associate. In 1952 he began a thirty-five year career with Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith. Early in his career with Merrill, he was offered numerous promotional opportunities however they always entailed moving to the East Coast. Norman was steadfast in his desire to raise the family in Orange County. By 1968 he was the Area Vice President responsible for Orange, Riverside & San Bernardino County Offices. During this initial stage of his career he served on the Arbitration Panel of the New York Stock Exchange, the Board of Directors of Hoag Memorial Hospital in addition to serving on Boards of Directors for the Orange County Chamber of Commerce and Orange County Girl Scout Council.

In 1975 another opportunity came along and the timing was right. He left the retail side of Merrill’s business to become the Merrill Lynch Capital Markets, Managing Director for the Northeast Region, based in Boston. In 1983, after eight years in Boston, he joined the Board of Directors as an Executive Managing Director of Merrill Lynch Capital Markets, International, for Europe and the Middle East, based in London.

After retiring in 1987, he and Clarice returned to Newport Beach. Once again he joined the Board of Directors, Hoag Memorial Hospital, as well as the Board of Directors for the Hoag Hospital Foundation where he served through 1993. In addition to his passion for Clarice, he loved all things nautical, historical accounts of WWII, the historical fiction of Patrick O’Brian, a good novel, a round of golf, vanilla ice cream, and a good laugh. He was as at ease with complete strangers as he was with life long friends. He realized a life long ambition to captain his own ship when he acquired Blue Chip, a Grand Banks 32 trawler.

Norman is survived by his wife Clarice Dahl; sons Greg, Chris, and Gary Dahl; brother Hank Dahl; nieces Nancy and Geri; nephew Rick; six grandchildren; and many other dear family friends. Memorial services will be held Friday, May 3rd at 10:00 a.m. at Pacific View Memorial Park and Mortuary, 3500 Pacific View Drive, Corona del Mar.