Born 1929 and Deceased 2016.
Norman Gaar was born on September 29, 1929, and died at the age of 86 on May 27, 2016. During a distinguished life, Norman served as a navy pilot, a decorated veteran of the Korean War, an accomplished attorney in municipal and public finance, a former member and majority leader of the Kansas Senate, and an attorney with Douthit Frets Rouse Gentile & Rhodes, LLC. During the Korean War, Norman was stationed as a naval pilot on the Valley Forge aircraft carrier, flying 88 missions over Korea and receiving the United Nations Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, two Air Medals, four Battle Stars, a U.S. Presidential Unit Citation and a Letter of Commendation (Combat V). Norman served as a Kansas State Senator (6th District) for 20 years and as Senate Majority Leader for four of those years. He was a nationally recognized attorney practicing in the area of municipal and public finance. During a legal career of over 50 years, he worked on billions of dollars of public financing. He was a Fellow of the American College of Bond Counsel, a member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers, a charter member of the California Association of Bond Lawyers, a faculty member of the New York Practicing Law Institute and listed in the “Red Book” of Bond Buyers for over 45 years. His service to the country, community and the firm will be missed.