Herbert Norton Rosebrock

The Rev. Herbert Norton Rosebrock, a retired pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, entered eternal rest on Sunday, October 22, 2023, surrounded by his family and uplifted by prayers of thanksgiving from so many who loved and cherished him.  

Norton is survived by his wife, Jackie Inman Rosebrock (Winter Park, FL); daughters Sarah (West Columbia, SC) and Jessica (Lexington, SC); and stepchildren, Aubrey (Laura), Allison (Randy), and Kelsey. Norton was the son of the late Herbert Wohlers Rosebrock and Grace Norton Rosebrock Thornhill (Summerville). He grew up in Winter Park, Florida, and Summerville, South Carolina, with his older sister, Candy (Joel), and his younger brothers, Peter, Steven, and Terry (Stacey).  Norton attended Winter Park High School and the College of Charleston and graduated from Mercer University and Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary.  Ordained in 1989, Norton served Holy Cross Lutheran Church (Spring Hill, FL) Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (Walterboro, SC), Mount Hermon Lutheran Church (West Columbia, SC) New Life Lutheran Church (Socastee, SC), as a hospice chaplain in the Orlando area, and finally as executive director of the Orlando Lutheran Towers Foundation and chaplain at Orlando Lutheran Towers until his retirement in 2019. 

Norton is predeceased by his father, Herbert, and stepfather, Tom Thornhill; his grandparents Lawrence Patrick and Grace Eleanor Norton (Oram) and Ernest H. and Bertha Wohlers Rosebrock. Norton is also survived by his grandchildren, Jubilee, Irene, Miles, Olivia, and Avery; his nieces and nephews, Peter, Emily, Erin, and Ryan; and his cousins whom he dearly loved. 

A service of thanksgiving for his life will be held on Saturday, November 18, at 2:00 p.m., at the Chapel at Orlando Lutheran Towers, 300 East Church Street, Orlando, FL 32801.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made in his memory to the Alzheimer’s Association, the Fountains Club at Orlando Lutheran Towers, or one of the congregations he served during his pastorate.