Norman Sites

Norman G. Sites, age 77, of Winchester, Virginia and formerly of Petersburg, West Virginia passed away Wednesday, October 25th in Winchester.

Norman was born August 28th, 1946 in Dorcas, West Virginia and was the son of the late Marvin and Elsie (Vance) Sites of Dorcas, West Virginia. In addition to his parents, Norman was preceded in death by four brothers, Leearl Sites of Quicksburg, Virginia, and Jessie, Lysle, and Chester Sites of Dorcas, West Virginia, and one sister, Rosetta (Sites) Smith, also of Dorcas.

Norman is survived by his wife, Ann (Rodgers) Sites, and two sons; Joshua Sites and wife Kiera, and Jason Sites and companion Lily Stotler, and three grandchildren; Gabriel Sites, Emma Kate Sites, and Benjamin Sites, all of Winchester, Virginia. Norman is also survived by one brother Johnny M. Sites of Dorcas, West Virginia, three sisters Helen (Sites) Smith and Carol (Sites) Skiles of Dorcas, West Virginia, and Joyce (Sites) Ketterman of Warren, Ohio, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Norman graduated from Petersburg High School with the Class of 1964. He attended Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, graduating in 1969 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Accounting. While at Shepherd College, he was inducted into the International Business Fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi, Epsilon Kappa Chapter.

Upon graduation from Shepherd College in 1969, he then enlisted in the U.S. Army and applied for Officer Candidate School. He received his diploma from the U.S. Army Engineering School in May of 1970 and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army with the rank of First Lieutenant. He was promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant in May of 1971.

During his three-year enlistment, Norman was first stationed at Fort Story, Virginia. During this time, he was on assignments for Riot Control Duty at the Pentagon and was survival assistant officer for the Chesapeake, Virginia area. From 1971 and the remainder of his enlistment, he was in the Republic of Vietnam, MeKong Delta. He was assigned to the 120th Transportation Company, served as a Class I Officer of the 228th STS Company based in Binh Thuy, and was part of the famous Delta Express Unit.

After completing his military duty, Norman again set out in pursuit of his chosen career. In 1973, he went to work for Buchannon & Company, a CPA firm located in the Watergate Complex in Washington, D.C. While there, he had the privilege of serving as an advisor to Ethel Kennedy when she was organizing her Special Olympics Program for Handicap Children. He also began a disciplined self-study program to refresh his knowledge of accounting and business law in preparation of sitting for the annual Certified Public Accounting exam that would be given nationwide in June of 1974.

Norman took the CPA exam in June of 1974 and was awarded his certification in August 1974, Certificate #3263. Norman was always pleased with the fact that he passed the four-part exam on his first testing, which was indeed a rare and worthy accomplishment.

With two young sons in tow and the sitting for the CPA exam behind him, the decision was made to get away from the city, so Norman accepted a position in Winchester, Virginia with the firm of Boserman, Alt, James, & Stickley CPA’s and then Hottel & Willis CPA Firm.

It was then that having completed all the requirements at that time of obtaining his CPA certificate and completing two years of apprenticeship under another CPA firm, that Norman took the grand step of starting his own business in 1975. He loved academics and never stopped. In 1983, he received certification from the University of Kentucky for Accounting & Taxation in the Horse Industry. In 1991, he received certification as a Certified Cost Estimator and Analysis Accountant (CCA), followed by a certification as a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) in 1992. The American Institute of CPA’s awarded him the recognition as a Chartered Global Management Accountant in 2014. Norman became a well-known and respected member of the professional community with his peers throughout Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

From the mid-70’s until the late 80’s, Norman also was a part time professor for business and accounting, first at Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and then extension classes in Moorefield, West Virginia, and later at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia when they launched their business and accounting curriculum; a curriculum that would later become the Byrd School of Business.

Always willing to support the community, Norman served in various offices, both locally and state, for many organizations, such as Jaycees Ruritan, W.O.W., Handley High School Judges athletic association, and the Winchester and Frederick County Pony League.

Due to his love and respect to the teachers and professors that had influenced and guided him through life, he organized, promoted, and supported a National Teachers Day Award Program to recognize outstanding teachers at all levels of education that exemplified outstanding performance and dedication to the teaching profession.

Norman was a Mason and member of the Winchester Hiram Lodge N.O.21 A.M. F.M. in Winchester, Virginia, and a lifetime member of the Virginia Society of CPA’s, the Maryland Society of Accountants, Inc., and the American Legion Post 0183 in Riverton, West Virginia. He was a member of Burnt Presbyterian Church in Winchester, Virginia where, until recent years, he taught Sunday school, was a treasurer, and served both as a deacon and elder of the church.

The family will receive friends Saturday evening, October 28th, between 7:00 and 9:00 PM at Schaeffer Funeral Home in Petersburg, West Virginia.

A funeral service will be conducted at 2:00 PM on Sunday, October 29th at Schaeffer Funeral Home in Petersburg, West Virginia. Reverend Craig Howard will be officiating, and masonic rites will be done by the Petersburg Masonic Lodge and military honors will be performed by the Petersburg VFW. Interment will follow the service at Maple Hill Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Petersburg High School Scholarship Program, 89 Riverview Drive, Petersburg, WV 26847 or the charity of your choice.