Founding Member of FOW Obituary

Bro. Norbert J. Korte, S.J.

Resident of Los Gatos

Brother Norbert J. (Biz) Korte, 80, died May 12, 2010 in Regis Infirmary, Sacred Heart Jesuit Center, Los Gatos, after a long illness. He was in his 59th year as a Jesuit Brother.

Biz was born December 23, 1929 in San Francisco and raised in Oakland. He graduated from St. Ignatius High School (Class of 1948) and attended Santa Clara University, 1948-51. Biz began his Jesuit life at Sacred Heart Novitiate in Los Gatos, in August of 1951.

With the exception of one year at St. Ignatius High in San Francisco, all of Biz' Jesuit assignments were at Sacred Heart Novitiate. In 1969 Biz began his work for Novitiate Winery, a job loved and for which he is known throughout the country. Over the years Biz became the public face of the winery. He promoted wine tastings and other events as the winery became more oriented towards the commercial wine market. When the winery closed in January 1986, Biz was on hand liquidating the inventory and locking up the door.

After the closing of the winery Biz did various in-house jobs at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center. Because of failing health, he spent his last few years as a resident of the infirmary at Sacred Heart.

Biz was a big man physically. He was gregarious and friendly, a man of great emotions and of high ideals. He was not afraid to express his opinion and you always knew where Biz stood on any given subject.

He was active in the Lion's Club, the Chamber of Commerce, and was a founding member of the Friends of the Winemakers, a group dedicated to preserving the history of wine making in the Santa Clara Valley. As a Lion, Biz acted as the group's chaplain and worked closely in support of the San Jose Blind Center and its teaching activities. For almost two decades he played Santa Claus at the Los Gatos Christmas Parade.

On the occasion of his Golden Jubilee as a Jesuit, Biz reflected, "my life has been full of God's graces; I have much to be grateful forfrom caring for the aged, typing invoices, knocking on the doors of countless parishes selling altar wine, to balancing the books of the community." All this was done with a generous heart.

Biz is survived by his brother George Korte, and his sisters Marla and Mary Norbert Korte.

The funeral Mass will be on Thursday, May 20 at 10:30 AM at St. Mary's Church, 219 Bean Ave., Los Gatos. Committal Service at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery will immediately follow the Mass.

Donations in Br. Korte's memory can be sent to the California Province of the Society of Jesus, P.O. Box 68, Los Gatos, CA 95031. Funeral arrangements by Darling-Fischer Chapel of the Hills, Los Gatos, CA.
Published in San Jose Mercury News/San Mateo County Times on May 16, 2010