SHOREHAM — Norton Latourelle and his wife Marlene Ann Thornton were often visited by delightfully curious crimson cardinals during their 35 years together at their beloved Shoreham home and workshop, where Norton — a renowned contemporary American folk artist — has transformed nondescript wooden blocks into thousands of charming dogs, cats, fish, insects, humans and just about anything you can imagine.

But the cardinal has been Latourelle’s almost singular focus this year, as the bird has come to symbolize the love of his life and a fierce battle against the deadly foe that took her from him. Marlene died on March 12 after a courageous battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Under the nurturing gaze of a Shoreham community that has cocooned him in love as he navigates this period of immense grief, Latourelle, 76, and a small band of dedicated helpers have methodically and painstakingly carved, sanded and painted 1,000 cardinals that are being offered — each for a $100 donation — to seed a new fund at UVM Medical Center to aid victims of, and to do research on, glioblastoma.

WHY CARDINALS? 

In addition to being gorgeous birds, they’ve come to symbolize hope, love, spiritual connection, or a message from a loved one who has passed away.

Norton found all those qualities in Marlene, whom he met in 1989 at a bar in Newburyport, Mass.

“I was taking a friend of mine — a starving artist — out to dinner,” Norton recalled.

His spied Marlene across the barroom and knew she was special. The starving artist ate while the pair of new acquaintances enjoyed conversation that came easily and begged for a second chapter.

NORTON AND MARLENE Latourelle stand in front of the Shoreham barn where he has created and shown the eclectic collection of animals and other wood carvings. Marlene’s death this past March prompted Norton to carve cardinals, one of the couple’s favorite birds, as a tribute and a fundraiser.
Photo courtesy of Anthony Thornton Photography

“We met on Friday the 13th and got married a year later, on Saturday the 13th, (in 1990),” Norton said.

Norton had been raised in Hartford, N.Y., and wanted to recapture that rural lifestyle with Marlene at his side.

“We wanted to have farm animals — beef cattle, sheep, chickens, the whole works. But we quickly gave that up,” he said with a smile.

Minus the livestock, they found a perfect setting at a 40-acre property off Route 73 in Shoreham. There, Norton would focus on sculpting and carving, while Marlene would handle the business side of things.

They made the perfect team. Latourelle spent long days gleefully laboring over his varied carvings, ranging from insects just a couple inches tall, to giraffes more than 11 feet tall. Elephants, turtles, vegetables, flowers, cupcakes and dogs.

Oh, the dogs.

Customers would come from miles way to get a Latourelle-carved dog, which he’d fashion according to the buyer’s favorite breed or personal pet, subtly capturing its lovable idiosyncrasies.

Latourelle and Thornton also had a special place in their hearts for cats. Norton made a point of fashioning likenesses of any strays that showed up at their door — if they would just sit still for a minute.

But it was birds that really captured the couple’s collective imagination. Finding rapture in raptors, the duo were avid birdwatchers, which inevitably hatched flocks of Latourelle bird carvings. Some flew off the shelves; others would hang out for a while and keep the couple company. All were comforting.

Norton’s Gallery, under Marlene’s stewardship, grew from a small artisanal operation based largely on word-of-mouth, to a well-marketed enterprise offering walk-in and wholesale purchasing. Norton, with a half century of carving under his belt and regular exhibits in galleries across the country, was becoming an even hotter commodity — ironically at a point in life when one starts to slow down.

No, advancing age wouldn’t take the saw and chisel out of Norton’s hands. It was the discovery of cancer in Marlene’s brain during the spring of 2024.

NORTON LATOURELLE

SOMETHING WRONG

Norton recalled the first signs that something was awry. The pair had decided to carpool for their respective appointments one day in early March. Marlene, always meticulous, suddenly couldn’t figure out a plan for the day. And when she returned to Middlebury Indoor Tennis to pick up Norton later that afternoon, Marlene was unable to have a basic conversation with a mutual friend.

“We’ve got to get you to the doctor,” Norton advised Marlene.

They did, which led to a trip for an MRI at UVM Medical Center. Physicians confirmed Marlene had a tumor in the left side of her brain, which among other things controls speech and balance.

She was officially diagnosed with glioblastoma on March 6, 2024.

“She knew exactly what it was,” Norton said of the devastating news. “I can still see her crying.”

It would be a crushing prognosis for anyone, but even more so for a person who appeared to be doing all the right things. Marlene and Norton ate healthy foods. Marlene exercised diligently and had taught bone builders to fellow seniors for many years.

Marlene’s physicians scheduled surgery within a week and were candid about what lay ahead. The survival rate for adults with glioblastoma is 14.6 months, according to the Glioblastoma Research Organization. Marlene would undergo energy sapping radiation and chemotherapy treatments while searching for experimental therapies they hoped might rescue her from a fast-moving disease for which there’s no known cure.

In order to stay laser focused on Marlene’s health, the pair decided to close Norton’s Gallery last October. They busily looked for homes for as many of Norton’s unsold carvings as possible before closing their doors.

Sadly, Marlene’s condition deteriorated quickly. Walking became a chore, leading to a transition to a wheelchair. Norton became his wife’s primary caretaker. He installed a hospital bed in the house and tended to her needs as long as he could.

Marlene would spend the final few weeks of her life in one of Porter Hospital’s Addison Respite Care Home suites, where Norton said she received excellent care.

She passed away a year and one week after her glioblastoma diagnosis.

“It was a nightmare,” Norton said of his wife’s ordeal, her death and the gaping void that her passing has left in his heart.

Between waves of grief, he thought about putting his idle hands to use again, and in a way that would pay homage to Marlene while also helping glioblastoma patients and their families. He decided in April that he’d carve out bunches of cardinals, selling them as a fundraiser. Alissa Thomas, M.D. — part of the UVMMC team that treated Marlene — gave her thumbs up to the partnership to generate funds for glioblastoma research and patient needs.

Shoreham folks who checked in on Norton were pleased to see him back at work. Several, including Shoreham Post Office Clerk Mike McGuire, offered to help.

“Norton is someone I’ve known since I’ve been at the post office (10 years),” McGuire said. “He’s a friendly guy and it’s been a tough time for him. I thought I’d do what I could to help him out.”

And there’s a little more to it than that. McGuire’s family has also been affected by glioblastoma. His spouse is a physician. So McGuire has firsthand knowledge of the disease and its impact on patients and survivors.

He asked Norton if he could join what was initially a cardinal carving club of one. While Norton would continue to saw out the cardinal forms, he agreed to farm out some of the sanding and painting chores.

“I don’t use rulers or rules,” Norton said of his well-earned facility with carving. “I don’t make templates; I threw away the level. I’m all by eye, feel, and years and years of doing this.”

The “Marlene’s Cardinals” team eventually grew to around 10, including friends and at least one firefighter. The sounds of sanding, sawing and conversation were a balm for Norton’s aching soul.

“I’ve learned more about (Norton) during the past few months than I’d learned about him in the (previous) 10 years,” McGuire said. “I would go down at lunchtime to work for around an hour, and sometimes after work.”

The bird sanding and painting can be mundane work, “but it allows you to talk to people,” McGuire noted.

Norton and his team met their 1,000-cardinal goal, and they became available on Aug. 9, which coincided with a celebration of Marlene’s life. Around 300 of the birds have flown to permanent homes, each leaving a $100 donation in their wake. Norton is already prepping for a second flock of Marlene’s Cardinals. And this time, Norton will train McGuire to use the bandsaw.

As the weather gets colder, Norton expects to see more cardinals around his workshop. They’ll lift his spirits, remind him of Marlene, and get him cranking up the bandsaw.

“I think (Marlene) would approve,” he said solemnly.

To order a cardinal, or to find out more about Norton’s Gallery, go online to nortonsgallery.com.

John Flowers is at [email protected].