Norman Hill Dyer

Norman Hill Dyer, born in August 1931 at Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, California, passed away August 5, 2026 in Sacramento after a long life defined by curiosity, hard work, service and adventure.

Raised in Berkeley, Norman grew up exploring the hills of Grizzly Peak, delivering newspapers and developing the resourcefulness that shaped his life. Summers spent working on his grandparents’ ranch in Barstow instilled a lifelong work ethic — “plowing, discing, bailing alfalfa and milking was hard work” — and a love of the outdoors.

A graduate of Berkeley High School and later UC Berkeley, Norman studied architecture and embraced campus life. He was a proud member of Cal’s DKE fraternity, a connection he cherished throughout his life for the friendships and stories it gave him.

He married Cynthia Camille Miller on February 11, 1955, beginning a devoted 60-year partnership that carried them from Missouri to Marin County, the East Bay, Hawaii, and eventually Paris and Napa. Cynthia passed away in 2015 and since then he lived near children in Athens, GA and Sacramento.

Norman served as a U.S. Army officer, taught in the Corps of Engineers’ carpentry school, and later built a distinguished career as an architect and planner. His work shaped communities across California and Hawaii, including innovative housing developments, civic projects, and master-planned neighborhoods. He approached his profession with creativity, practicality and deep respect for craftsmanship.

He played a vital role at Gentry Homes developing communities in Hawaii. His contributions are still felt throughout the company. His leadership and architectural visions have impacted thousands of families who live in a Gentry home or work in the surrounding communities.

He and Cynthia raised a large, loving family and opened their home—and hearts—to many, including two adopted children from Vietnam and Korea. Norman cherished time with his children and grandchildren — yearly parties, camping in the Sierras, traveling the world, skiing, golfing, and sharing stories of a life richly lived and travelled.

In later years, Norman and Cynthia created a second home in Paris, welcoming friends and family to the Left Bank apartment overlooking Notre Dame—a place he considered one of his life’s great joys.

Norman is remembered for his generosity, wit, integrity, and the remarkable sweep of his experiences. He lived fully, loved deeply, and left a legacy of family, community and enduring kindness.

He is survived by five of his six children: Norman Dyer Jr, Concord; Lenora Dyer, Boulder, CO; Jeffery Dyer, Mountain View; Andrea Dyer, Corte Madera; and Kathryn Madruga, Sacramento. He was preceded in death by his wife, Cynthia (2015) and his son, Anthony Dyer (2026). There are seventeen grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren scattered among the above.