List veteran and educator Norman B. Sturm died of cancer last week at age 70.
Until his recent retirement, Sturm ran NBS Marketing, a circulation consulting firm he founded after leaving Uni-Mail List Corp. in 2000. Sturm was with Uni-Mail for 20 years.
Prior to Uni-Mail he held direct marketing positions at Cahners Publishing, World of Beauty Club and National Business Lists. Sturm was also an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
“I've known Norm for like 25 years since he was at World of Beauty and National Business Lists,” former Uni-Mail president Michael Bryant said. Bryant closed New York-based Uni-Mail in September and is vice president of list brokerage at Adrea Rubin Marketing Inc., New York.
“Norm was actually diagnosed with lung cancer in July or August of last year,” Bryant said. “Then he had a brain tumor that was removed I think in January. I spoke with him about four or five weeks ago, and he sounded kind of weak but I had no idea how bad it was.”
According to Bryant, Sturm opened a Uni-Mail office in Chicago in 1980 to handle the firm's Midwest accounts including Fingerhut and Physicians Mutual Insurance. He did brokerage and management, and his wife, Lorry, also worked with him on the Uni-Mail accounts.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, Barry; daughter Lisa Breden and granddaughter Sarah Breden. He lived in Glenview, IL.
Services were held July 15. Contributions in Sturm's memory can be made to The Cancer Wellness Center or The American Cancer Society.
