Captain Robert P. Nordman was born April 4, 1970, in Stoughton, Massachusetts. He served three tours with the United States Navy on the destroyer USS Elliot during Operation Desert Storm. During his years of active service, he worked as a gas turbine engine technician and achieved the rank of petty officer second class. His love of the fire service began in the Navy, resulting in more than 30 years of service to the citizens of Wake County as a member of the Apex, Wendell, and Stony Hill Fire Departments (now Northern Wake Fire Department), where he worked his way up to the rank of captain.

From a young age, his bubbly personality was magnetic. He played soccer and football throughout his youth and loved all things engines. Despite not being fond of sitting in class, he was a walking history book. His phenomenal memory and recall for facts gave him an ability to converse on most any topic, and he was not afraid to tell you his opinion. He loved movies and music. His favorites were Forrest Gump and Elvis. He could recite almost any line and attempted to sing like Elvis.

He enjoyed leading junior firefighters and instilled in them the values of teamwork and service. His hope was to leave a legacy in the lives of those he trained. In addition to Firefighter of the Year, he had two favorite awards. “Horse Whisperer” was a title he earned when he and his crew were dispatched to an unknown hazard call. When they arrived, a couple of horses escaped from a property near this corner. They used their engine and themselves to protect the horses and return them to their property. He earned the “Driving Backwards to a Fire Award” during Emergency Vehicle Operations Training. When directed to drive through a maze of cones, he did it perfectly, then drove it backward without contacting a single cone. The instructor declared that he should back the engines to calls.

He is survived by his wife, Robin; sons, Johnathon and Michael; daughters, Savannah Bartninkaitis and Christina Nordman; his parents, Will and Sue Nordman; brother, Rick Nordman; sister, Gin Cooper; nephews, Casey, Nico, Ethan, and Jake; niece, Devon; and six grandchildren. He was predeceased by his brother, Chuck Nordman.

He dearly loved his family, his fire department, and his service in the Navy and community. He loved the work he did restoring the battleship USS North Carolina, docked in Wilmington, North Carolina. He cherished his membership with the Red Knights Motorcycle Club, where he rode with brother firefighters on his Harley-Davidson. His relationship with the Lord was an anchor in his life that carried him through his last breath.