Kenneth Dale “Kenny” Norwood, 74, of Lake Charles passed away Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023 in a local hospital.

Mr. Norwood was a native of Lake Charles where he lived most of his life.  He was a graduate of LaGrange High School and attended McNeese State University and Sowela Technical College. He served six years in the United States Army National Guard during which time he began working alongside his father at Norwood Construction.  Mr. Norwood later started Brothers Construction that he successfully owned and operated many years throughout the surrounding area. He also worked as a private Contractor in Kazakhstan and Iraq.  Mr. Norwood worked hard and played hard.  He enjoyed lots of social organizations, functions and events as a member of the American Legion, Calcasieu Boat Club, Parrotheads in Paradise, Mardi Gras of Southwest Louisiana and Krewe de la Noblesse.  He was also an avid outdoorsman as he enjoyed hunting, fishing as well as flower and vegetable gardening.  Amongst his greatest down time spent was in the company of friends at the Cajun’s Wharf, or for gatherings with family and friends serving his best dishes: chicken and dumplings, jambalaya, gumbo and sometimes good ole biscuits and gravy.  He loved to cook and looked forward to cooking and serving friends and family who joined him at his ranch in Texas, often just to eat, drink and be merry.  Mr. Norwood loved traveling with his wife to Key West several times a year for countless years, extensive island travels and journeys of travels to Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Scandinavia, Scotland, Slovenia, Tunisia and Turkey.  Mr. Norwood will be most remembered for his love of living life.

He leaves, to honor his memory, his loving bride of 28 years, Valerie Mollick Norwood of Lake Charles; son, Stephen K. Norwood (Judy) of Dallas, Texas; daughters, Sarah Elizabeth Trouard of Baton Rouge and Valerie Harris Olecki (Robert) of New Orleans; nine grandchildren, Russell and Ryan Norwood, Derek and Cole Trouard, Anna, Andrew, and Elise Johnson, Richard Spong and Violet Harris; and six great-grandchildren, Jackson, Madison, Charlee, Jace, Ava and Ariella; two brothers, Earl Norwood Jr. (Carol) and Harold Wayne Norwood, both of Lake Charles and two “adopted sons”, Kevin Yaudes and JT Johnson.

He is preceded in death by his daughter, Stephanie Dianne Norwood and parents, Earl Norwood and Thelma Branson Norwood.

The family of Mr. Norwood wishes to express heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Mohammad Khan and to “his girls”, the fusion nurses at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for their excellence in care, kindness and special relationship with Kenny.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in the Chapel of Johnson Funeral Home in Lake Charles. Visitation Saturday will be from 10 a.m. until the time of service in the funeral home. Interment services will follow at Highland Memory Gardens.

Words of comfort to the family may be expressed at www.johnsonfuneralhome.net.