Norma Anita Douglas-Todd

Norma Anita Douglas-Todd passed away on January 27, 2021, at age 100 years, 7 months and 5 days. Wow! She was born June 22, 1920, to Myrta Cornetet Patton and Albert Patton in Mount Orab, Ohio. Norma was raised in nearby Middletown, where she graduated from high school with plans to attend Michigan State University.

Depression circumstances prevented her university attendance and she found work with Bell Telephone Company as a local operator, a “Number Please, Thank You Girl”, as she described it. She progressed to a long distance operator and as World War II raged on, left home in Ohio to accept an assignment with General Telephone in Honolulu as a trans-Pacific operator in 1943 & 1944.

Following the war, she met James F. Douglas at USC - Santa Maria, California. They married in 1947 and raised two sons, while hopscotching to 15 different assignments in 30 years with the U.S. Air Force and the aerospace industry, until Doug’s passing in 1977.

Norma met Carl E. Todd at a mutual friend’s wedding in Fort Worth, Texas, and they married in August of 1984, moving to Memphis the following year, where they resided on Snyder Road for 35 years.

She is survived by her husband of 36 years, Carl E. Todd; sons, Robert R. Douglas (Nancy Leigh) and Donald D. Douglas (Debbie); stepson, Randall Craig Todd; 3 grandchildren; and 4 great-grandchildren.

Norma was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Jim Patton; and husband of 30 years, James F. Douglas.

She was a lifelong volunteer as a room mother, den mother, nurse’s aide, Gray Lady, Pink Lady, Head Start Aide and literacy aide. With her passing she completed her “lifetime sentence” as leader of the Lydia Circle of Capleville United Methodist Church, to which she was very devoted.

Carl treasured Norma for her fundamental goodness and love for her family.

Her boys held dear her unwavering constancy; glowing with pride over their every success, no matter how modest; comforting & encouraging through each struggle & disappointment.

Her daughters-in-law were heartened by her acceptance, warm embrace & true friendship.

Her Grands adored her as a talented painter and needle worker, doodler extraordinaire, maybe the slowest eater in the world, a lover of coffee with her crosswords, a lady-like sipper of a wee dram, a valuable teammate in Trivial Pursuit, a great cackler when she laughed, an effusive phone conversationalist, devoted Christian, masterful gardener, creative gift giver and profuse taper of packages, collector of many things, so many things; oh, the angels! And they remember her rare beauty, a beauty that radiated from within and did not fade with age.

Her Great Grands? May they one day know of her joyful glow in her constant gazing and shuffling over her photos of her twins, her toddler and her cherub.

She did love her family, and they all loved her right back. The family looks forward to a Celebration of Life with church family and friends when public health concerns permit, hopefully this spring or summer.

Memorial gifts may be made to Capleville UMC, 4725 Riverdale Road, Memphis 38141 or the American Heart Association.