In the summer of 1959, I had the pleasure of living directly across the street from Norman Rockwell in Lee, MA (close to his favorite Stockbridge). He was living with a landlady at the time. On numerous occasions during that summer, he asked me to accompany him to the Berkshire Museum in nearby Pittsfield, MA. I was a student at the time at the Tanglewood/Berkshire Music Center. I got to know him quite well, certainly well enough to know that he was not homosexual. Being a musician, I knew and had known some males of that persuasion and could easily distinguish them from normal males. He was a genuine man who was adored by many for his love of America and his portrayal of American life in art.
Thank you for sharing this. It is so cool in Freeperland to read some first hand accounts like this. I have been a long time fan of NR's work, particularly his Brown & Bigelow calendars for the BSA.
Thanks for sharing your memories.