
WRITTEN BY JACK ZIMMERMAN---JUNE 15, 2007
 
It seems so natural to be disoriented when someone so close parts the veil...After all we are all lighthouses for each other and when one light is transmuted to the non-physical world (it never goes "out") then how we navigate our journey has to change.  A star is missing in the heavens and our "charts" no longer work the same way.  The "Field" that shapes our perceptions and creates balance for us along the path has shifted significantly and the world itself--literally--is not the same any more energetically and physically.  We have lost a person so close to usâ€”a dear one, and we have lost our old way. When we find it again, it is a new path...



A LOVE STORY

I am standing here before you today because I, like you, fell in love with Norma.  You and I have lost Norma but we have not lost the love we have all shared with her. We all fell in love with Norma in our own special and distinctive ways. I know there is a personal love story for each of you who sit here before me today. You have your own story to cherish and hold dear. I am in pain, like you, a pain like I have not Known until now, but I know I will continue to be consoled by my own beautiful memories of my â€œNormitchkitah.â€ I pray that your personal memories of Norma will also comfort you.

From the very first moment, 34 years ago, that I laid eyes on Norma, I was smitten; I was in love. I saw those beautiful sparkling eyes, that glowing smile, that disarming charm, those red curls and of course that lovely figure. Those qualities were enough, but in Normaâ€™s case they were accompanied by this natural, genuine, open, and unbiased welcoming invitation to become a part of her life as a friend, and luckily for me, a lover. The joy and happiness that I have experienced in loving Norma has been the most beautiful gift of my life. I have been so blessed by our union and the Adventure that followed. The most wonderful part of being with Norma, being her partner, was the recognition that God blessed me with a lifetime of being able to witness, on hundreds of occasions, this natural and genuine expression of â€œNorma love.â€ I have lived a life of watching the most beautiful of first impressions; impressions that Norma made with the 100s of people she met. Norma was not trying to make an impression, it just happened. It came out of her from the depths of a beautiful heart, a charismatic spirit from a place as natural and as honest and as innocent as the laugh of a child. She loved to play, she loved to party, and she loved to have fun with others. You all have experienced this; you all have been her playmates. I watched her capture hearts right to the very end of her life, even with the many people who cared for Norma and who helped Norma on her journey. We are here today, Normaâ€™s family and friends, because we have been blessed to have been loved by Norma Rosenbluth, a human being, who captured our hearts, our spirits, our bodies, and our minds and took us on the most fun-loving, heart-felt, caring, compassionate, and rewarding experiences of our lives. Yes, we will mourn her loss today, but we will grow to celebrate a future that will grace us with a legacy filled with beautiful loving memories. That is how Norma would want it, to live on but remember her and the fun.

So I stand here before you, a transformed man, changed and strengthened because of a life of love with Norma, standing in front of her most cherished family and friends, who have also been changed. I am standing here with the most beautiful memories one can have, feeling honored, grateful and humbled by being a part of Normaâ€™s life, being part of her familyâ€™s life, being part of my own familyâ€™s life, and being part of your lives. I will conclude with my best highlight of the day with Norma, and there were so many. Norma would complete her aquatics class at Body Business, she would smooze with her students in the locker room, shower, and then bring her class attendance tickets to the front desk. I would be sitting waiting patiently and sometimes not so patiently. And she would come up the hallway, gym bag and attendance tickets in hand. My absolute joy was in seeing her expression of pride, her smile, and her own joy and happiness from knowing that she had helped herself, helped her students and she did it all with a song in her heart and a song in the pool. She would hand her attendance tickets in at the desk, look at me and smile, and say â€œletâ€™s go Pat.â€ It is in this simple example of how Norma brought her style of love into the day to day life of the people she served, that unlocks her secret. She gave of herself to others completely and without reservation, in this case, she gave herself and her students the promise and hope for improved health and the opportunity, through aquatics exercise, to achieve a minute, an hour, or a day free of pain. So my Normitchkitah, I believe, with faith, that you are now in a beautiful place, where there is no pain, a place that matches the beauty and love you gave to us here on this earth. So have a blast, have fun with your new playmates. I thank you for loving me and I thank you for giving me a ring side seat to watch the love you shared with your family and friends. I love you and God Bless you.

{Presented at the Memorial Service for Norma Rosenbluth by Patrick Oâ€™Neill on 11 July 2010.}




Thank you.

For those of you who have ever phoned Norma and got her voice mail in the past, I want all of you to know that the pit bulls are fine, they send their regards, and they are still protecting Normaâ€™s home quite nicely. They will be there and will continue to protect the property. Please call if you need some of Normaâ€™s comic relief.

I would first like thank Normaâ€™s children, Lauren, Darrell and Barri for their loving care and their loving support of their mother and myself during this journey. I watched how each of you, in your own special way, loved and cared for your mother. She loved you all so very much. She was so proud of each of you and the accomplishments you have achieved: a more protected environment, a beautiful music filled room, and a less violent world; each of her children providing a legacy of service to us all.    
I would like to thank John Trapp and Chuck Plitsch, Normaâ€™s sons-in law, for their unwavering and steadfast support of Norma and me throughout this whole period. They did anything and everything that Norma or I asked. She loved you both very much. I also want to thank you both for the support and strength you provided your wives and your families during this challenging time.

I would like thank Normaâ€™s grand children, Aubrey and Walter, the apples of your grandmotherâ€™s eyes. She loved you, she adored you, and I know you loved and adored her. You demonstrated a maturity beyond your young years as you cuddled and hugged and kissed your grandmother; like her, so genuinely and so naturally. She loved being here to celebrate your birthdays. Thank you and like her, I love you very much.
I thank you Henry, the father of Lauren, Darrell, and Barri, and your wife Annabelle, for your loving presence in supporting Norma and I, your children, and their families.
 
On behalf of Normaâ€™s family present here and her sisters, Helen Blumenthal, Rhoda Weill, and Gloria Taub, her many nieces and nephews who mourn deeply at home and who loved their sister and aunt so dearly, we thank you all who gather here with us this afternoon, we thank those friends who could not make it here today for the support you provided Norma. We thank Body Business; its members and staff and we thank Normaâ€™s sorority Beta Sigma Phi and her beloved chapter, Preceptor Epsilom Omega. Thank you all for supporting us during this time. We thank you for all your cards, your emails, your visits, your meals, your prayers, and the many acts of kindness and love you provided over this period.
And finally, our family offers the most heartfelt and appreciative thank you to Hospice Austin whose steadfast focus on Normaâ€™s treatment and care strengthened our family and improved our abilities to take care of Norma.

They provided an exquisite combination of knowing when to be there, what to do, when to act, when to be direct, when to be distant and when to be close, when to talk and when to be quiet. Norma thanked Hospice Staff every time they visited because she respected their work, trusted them, and helped them help her by being the best patient she could be. Their professionalism, their collective wisdom as a team, and their intimacy with us and with Norma all served to help us support Norma on her journey to a beautiful place. We thank Charlotte, Normaâ€™s favorite bany hen, Linda, Normaâ€™s favorite Bird watcher, and Jan and Sarah, Normaâ€™s favorite counselors and confidants.

{Presented at the Memorial Service for Norma Rosenbluth by her partner Patrick Oâ€™Neill on 11 July 2010.} 



No matter which Trapp visited Austin, we were all part of Norma's family. She enfolded us into whatever activities she had going on - from water aerobics to Toga Parties, and we were just part of the clan showing up for a good time. When I accompanied her to her water aerobics class many years ago, I was struck by the easy rapport she had established with her students - the way she nurtured them and encouraged them, no matter what their ailments, to get the most from their movements, strength and flexibility. I thought how lucky they were to have Norma. Leaving the class, we hopped into Norma's convertible; she dropped the convertible top; turned the CD player to The Three Tenors - full volume - and off we roared through the streets of Austin. She was generous to a fault - making sure we never left town without homemade candy or pecans from her tree. Norma packed a lot of living into her years on earth, and no one who met her will ever think of her without smiling about some "Norma-ism".  God speed, Norma; we will always remember your time with us.  Love, Joan Trapp-Bennett



My first memory of Norma in May of 1999 is when she walked into my office with her portfolio of pictures from the place she taught water aerobics.   I told her we didnâ€™t have any classes that specifically were geared toward arthritis and she said we should and she could teach them.  When I told her what we paid per class, she said she was worth more than that.  Ha!  AND WAS SHE EVER.  From teaching classes, organizing luncheons, checking on members that were absent, singing in the pool, singing at member appreciation parties, making her famous toffee brittle, making her famous jewelry, decorating the hallway for holidays, dressing up for Halloween, attending all staff meetings, and ALL Staff partiesâ€¦.Norma was amazing.   I always say that there are some people who grow old too fast and there are some people that never grow old, no matter what their chronological age is.  Norma was one of those people.  She always had a way of making people feel young and want to laugh and play.  
Norma would always come into my office before she would teach and tell me a joke or a story that would make me laugh.  She seemed to understand the stress I have been under the last 6 years and wanted to give me a little relief.  That was Normaâ€¦always caring about others.  The last time I saw her, I brought my husband Scott.  When he came into her room, she said â€œOh Scott, what an honorâ€.   No Norma, the honor was being able to be in your presence.   She gave me a necklace that said â€œLive, Love, Laughâ€.  I think that was her way of telling me to stop getting so caught up in worrying about things that I have no control over and to concentrate on what really is important in life.  My husband said to me as we were leaving that dayâ€¦.She has the most amazing eyesâ€¦they seem to look at you and know what is in your soul.  That was Norma.
We came home after the memorial and floated in our pool and reminisced about Norma.  While we were doing this, a hummingbird flew in and around us.   We havenâ€™t seen a hummingbird in our yard in a year even though we have had a feeder.   Then, last night as I was getting ready to read my book, I took out the book mark that Norma had made for me.   When she gave it to me she said â€œthis one is special because it is pewter and it has a hummingbird on topâ€.   So I believe the little hummingbird that visited us Sunday night was Norma.  Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration.  The hummingbirdâ€™s delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that LAUGHTER is lifeâ€™s sweetest creation.  Does this sound like Norma or whatâ€¦..so the next time you see a hummingbirdâ€¦think of Norma.  I will.
I loved Norma and I will miss her.  I canâ€™t even bring myself to take her off payroll.  Norma Rosenbluth might just stay on payroll as long as BodyBusiness exists, just for good luck.  
I pray that all of you will adjust to the physical loss of Norma in your life, but know that she is watching over you and will always be with you. Thanks for sharing your amazing mother with me and all the members and staff of BodyBusiness.  Her spirit will always be singing in the pool, talking at the front desk, and decorating the hallway.  I hope that you all will not be strangers to BodyBusiness, especially you Pat.  
Much Love,
Susan




John's speech at Norma's Memorial Service

The relationship between a son-in-law and mother-in-law is hard to define. There are lots of stereotypes and jokes about mother-in laws, but with Norma, I don't think that any of them apply. Except maybe this tie. If you can't see it, it is full of iridescent colors swimming with dolphins, killer whales, fish and assorted marine life. This was the first of many presents I received from Norma over the years. It gave me an idea of what was to come.

Norma and I spent a lot of time together and we didn't always see eye to eye. We both come from very different backgrounds. At times it seemed like different planets. We lived on the same street 7 house apart. I called the street Isaac Pryor, Norma sometimes mixed it up and aptly called it Richard Pryor. No matter what was happening between us, and Pat knows this well, Norma always knew what was best for us.

Norma was strong-willed and not afraid to speak her mind. I noticed the first time I met her that she was ferociously protective and proud of her family. That's why I was happy that she welcomed me into the family. She always supported Barri and me in all aspects of our marriage. When we were newly married and still undecided about having kids, she supported our decision with her uncanny ability to telephone at the most inopportune moments. After we had kids, she sold her house in Laura, packed up the took-us-mobile and moved to Texas to help us raise them. She brought with her some great old world parenting tips and advice. We learned what you can do to make sure your child's head is round and that their ears don't stick out. She showed us the correct way to put children to bed at night, having them in such a total giggle fit that there was no way they would ever go to sleep.

As a parent you always want your kids to have it better than what you had. The only grandparent I remember, my grandma Trapp, passed away when I was young. So I've given my kids six grandparents. They come in different shapes and sensibilities, but all are full of love and support for their grandkids. They all spoil them rotten like grandparents are supposed to do, free from the responsibilities they had as parents.

Grandma Norma and Grandpa Pat had a quality that goes above and beyond normal grandparenting. They were tireless, always ready of one thing more, one more game of rummy cube, basketball game, soccer match, music recital, awards ceremony, movie, cookout, one more bundt cake, one more brownie, moist, of course, one more squirt of whip cream. It didn't matter what it was, they always wanted to be there and they always made it more fun because they were there.

As I was writing this I started thinking about my grandmother. The last years of her life she alternated staying with her children. She had 12. So she was in our home for two or three months at a time. She taught me to play cards, mostly poker, and to love westerns, especially Gunsmoke, But mostly, I remember her telling jokes and stories that made me laugh, though I no longer remember them. Besides wanting your kids to have it better than you had it, another perk of parenting is you get to re-parent yourself, treat yourself to the things you didn't get or try to undo the bad. I feel very fortunate to have spent so much time with Norma, playing games and cards, watching old movies, and listening to her tell stories and jokes that made me laugh. She filled a very empty place from my childhood with a rich new set of memories.

Norma was a force. You are here today because she touched you in some way. I don't think that anyone anywhere, who spent a little bit of time with Norma, wasn't somehow moved: to wonder, to laugh, but mostly to realize how rich and fun life can be.

They say as you grow older you start to behave more and more like your parents. If that's true, even at the risk of silly hats and costumes, I'm looking forward to growing old with Barri. I can't think of a better model for living and having fun than Norma.




Barriâ€™s speech at Normaâ€™s Memorial Service.

We appreciate Hospice Austin for their compassionate care. Thank you Linda, Charlotte, Sarah and Jan for your calming presence. We looked forward to Charlotte on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays when she would give Norma a bath, change her bed, rub her back and make her smile. It was very sweet to see them enjoy a bowl of watermelon together at the end of her visits.

Many of you know my mother was my best friend. We really enjoyed being together. We never had a fight or said an unkind word to each other. We were too busy laughing at something she said, or I said. We were busy planning menus, making new recipes, learning new crafts, shopping for supplies, talking about my children, Pat, John, my work, her work, our next project. We were busy, we had a great time, we had lots of time together, and I will miss that most of all.

Something that was very special to both of us was our chicken soup, which, when prepared a certain way, was referred to as The Chicken Soup. The Chicken Soup is made by boiling a whole chicken, and not adding any extra broth. Its key ingredients include onions, fresh garlic, parsnips, carrots, celery, and fresh dill. Diversions from this recipe were OK for general consumption, but only The Chicken Soup was acceptable when one of us got sick. The other one would go straight to HEB and come home to make The soup, which usually cured the illness in 1-2 days if not sooner. I remember when Norma delivered The Chicken Soup to Mitzi, who had just had surgery, and dropped it on the kitchen floor. This required remaking The Soup and bringing a new batch over.

I would like to share a few things I value most about my mother:

1. She lived in the present. She made the most of what is now, not what could be or what once was. That was her true nature. She didnâ€™t want to miss out on anything by dwelling in the past, the future, or anywhere that would take her away from the present moment.

2. She was involved in many relationships. She stayed in touch with friends, old and new. She had many acquaintances too. She knew the staff at HEB, she knew the men in the post office, she knew the woman at the bank, and they all knew her. Her day was full of social connections, each one special and sincere.

3. She loved to laugh and her laughter was contagious. When I think of her or see her pictures I have to laugh. She was the funniest person I have ever known. She laughed at herself all the time. Sometimes when asked for her address, she would say she lived on Richard Pryor, instead of Isaac Pryor. I would look at her and say â€œRichard Pryor?â€ and we would both break out laughing.

4. She loved my children as much as I do and helped us raise them from babies into the wonderful people they have become. I am so proud of them. They are strong and sensitive and they stayed by their Grandmaâ€™s side, helping her and bringing her so much happiness. They continue to comfort me even in their grief. They are living descendents of my precious mother and in their faces I see her wisdom, her compassion, and her incredible joy.

I am forever grateful for her life. Thank you for loving her and for being here today.






My MOM

My Mom made us homemade Halloween Costumes. She dressed Darrell and I in matching Clown outfits she made with gorgeous collars and cuffs and huge balls of fuzzy yarn for buttons. They fit over our snow suits for it was cold in NY that time of year. We tottered out the door together, holding hands with ones not clutching our candy bags. It was the 1950â€™s and my Mom made big popcorn balls for the tricker -treaters, each one individually encased in colored plastic wrap and then tied with beautiful ribbons. I helped make these and learned from her handicrafts and so many practical skills . When I watched her beading, candy and card making with Aubrey and Walter 50 years later, I saw myself at her elbow. 

Parties, costumes, wigs, props, hats, sequins, opera, bright colors, surprises, theatre and music - my Mom. I finally realized that with Momâ€™s love and talent of the comedic, combined with her personal warmth and drive to cheer up the weary, the sick and the sad, Mom had missed her professional calling. There are few now, and almost none back during the time when, pursuing this as a career might have been possible for her, but she would have made one hilarious and successful female clown. And, in no time at all, as she did with any interest she pursued, my Mom would have surely become a trainer, a Maestra of Clowns. Because, as much as she had the spirit of a clown, she also had the soul of a teacher. 

My Mom. My best friend. I carry your spirit inside, you are part of me and as you asked me to do before you died, I will adventure to places you never had the chance to go, and do things that your health and mobility would not let you pursue. And, while clown college is not on my agenda, making my own homemade costume for Halloween is something you showed me long ago to be unforgettable. With love and gratitude, Lauren






Norma always had a warm friendly smile and was a fun loving person
I remember the time we had a fashion show and luncheon at Body
Business and we all dressed in amusing costumes. Norma loved to
sing and had a beautiful voice.It was such a joy to be invited to
Norma's house for a concert when her son was in town I have a key
ring she made and will treasure it always
Norma was a treasure to every one who knew her




Norma was not only a wonderful, talented, generous friend, but she was my sister in Beta Sigma Phi. She was funny and gracious, and I will miss her so much. I know she is at peace and not suffering anymore, and that will help all of us she left behind. I will especially miss riding with Norma, Barb Bakonyi, and Pat driving us to sorority meetings. We always had a great time. Rest in peace, La Norma!




She was my Beta Sigma Phi Sister, Friend, and Hostess with the mostess. Her smile radiated warmth and openness. When she smiled her eyes sparkled like star. She was so lovely. She shared her compassion in her heart and called out to those less fortunate. Her talents were numerous and unique. Her homemade chocolate toffey my favorite. She loved to wear crazy hats to our meetings and made us laugh and smile. She was our Angel Rose. Pat and Family thank you for sharing her with us. She made our life a whole lot brighter. I miss her so-

I am thy sister
Faye






I will miss your smile and your thoughtfulness. And those piano recitals given by your son Darrell. I enjoyed them very much and your hospitality at these concerts was wonderful. You were a wonderful sorority sister. Now you are free of pain. Love, Betty





My mother. My best friend. Fly, fly away............."No more sailing from harbour to harbour with this, my weather-beaten boat" Your Lauren.





Norma was my friend and my sister in Beta Sigma Phi, I will cherish the moments shared throughout the past years in sorority. Her smile, concerns for others and most of all, taking the time to share her kindness and words of wisdom.




OBITUARY

Norma Rosenbluth

16 March, 1927 – 6 July, 2010

Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Homes & Cremation Services

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Services