Norval Marley passed away when Bob Marley was 10 years old, cementing his father's elusive legacy.

Norval Sinclair Marley died in 1955, when Bob was a young boy. His death occurred in Kingston, reportedly due to a heart attack. This meant that Bob had no opportunity to forge a meaningful adult relationship with his father, or to seek answers about his family history directly from him. The absence became permanent, transforming Norval into a legendary, almost mythical figure in Bob's personal narrative. This unresolved paternal relationship is often cited by biographers and cultural critics as a significant influence on Bob's personal identity and his artistic expressions, particularly his search for belonging and spiritual fatherhood within the Rastafari movement.