116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Robert Norton Jr.
ROBERT K. NORTON JR.
Iowa City
Robert King Norton Jr., 69, of rural Iowa City, died Monday, Jan. 29, 2018, in a car accident. Norton was president and chief executive officer of KZIA, Inc.
Norton is survived by his niece, Mary Ellen Quinn Johnson, and her husband, Bruce, of Towson, Md.; great-nephews, Brennan and Leo Johnson; great-niece, Rory Johnson; and cocker spaniels Gordon and Katy.
Norton was born on Oct. 14, 1948, in Washington, D.C., to Robert K. Norton Sr. and Ellen McKee Franklin Norton, who preceded him in death, as did his older sister, Margaret Lee Norton. Norton grew up in Bethesda, Md., and attended Staunton Military Academy in Staunton, Va.; the University of Maryland and the University of Iowa.
He began his radio career at WINX 1600 AM in Rockville, Md. Norton co-founded, with Eliot Keller, the first FM radio station in Iowa City, KRNA-FM, in 1974. He went on to co-found KZIA, Inc., and led the company following Keller's death in 2009. The Iowa Broadcasters Association named Norton "Broadcaster of the Year" in 2004.
Norton was a longtime member of the Staunton Military Academy Alumni Foundation.
Norton's family would like to thank Sheri and Tony Carter of Marion for their friendship.
Memorial contributions may be made to Mary Baldwin University, on the grounds of the former Staunton Military Academy, at marybaldwin.edu, and Last Hope Animal Rescue of Cedar Rapids, at adopthope.org.
Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services handled arrangements. Share online condolences at stewartbaxter.com.
Daily Newsletters