Norma Lee Smith Omicioli

Norma Lee Smith Omicioli passed away on May 02, 2022. Norma was born and raised in Whittier, California. She is the second daughter of Nathan Smith and Mildred (Ligget) Smith. She had one older sister, Mary. Norma enjoyed the ocean and swimming as a child and, as a young adult, loved to come down to Huntington Beach, Balboa, and Long Beach to go dancing. It was only natural that she would make her way to coastal Orange County later in life.

After graduating from Whittier High School, Norma went to work for Union Oil Company, where she remained for over two decades. Norma was fiercely independent and lived life at her own pace. Eventually, she met and married her husband, Gene Omicioli, and they had a son, Steven.

Norma showed great concern for the environment and the condition of the Earth. She participated in the first Earth Day celebration in1970. The yards at her houses were always meticulously maintained and beautiful. Norma was also an animal lover, which well suited her nurturing personality. She would brush, trim, and primp our two miniature schnauzers, Pepper and Ziggy, almost daily. She always prepared extra food for any stray cats, or sometimes other animals, that were backyard regulars. Birds loved her gardens and were everywhere, so some feeders went up, and some birdbaths placed.

Norma was a voracious reader, often checking out several books at a time from the local library. Norma loved board games and card games, and scrabble and word games. She could always figure out the meaning of personalized license plates with extra “creative” spelling. She was easygoing and flexible, able to enjoy whatever we were doing. We would often jump in the car and drive up or down the coast, or sometimes up the mountains or into Palm Springs and the desert. Detours to one of the local Indian casinos were frequent. She was always elegant and poised, never vain or pretentious, and rarely stepped out without looking her best, even to go to the grocery store. She never, ever missed her weekly appointments at the hairdresser. Norma was incredibly nurturing and kind. She was particularly talented at buying gifts, constantly taking mental note of what people wanted or needed, and presenting them always flawlessly wrapped. She always had fresh cut flowers somewhere inside the home, and was festive, rotating numerous fun decorations through the various holidays.

Norma donated to many charities, including Sierra Club, World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, Nature Conservancy, Audubon Society.

Services will be held at Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona Del Mar on Thursday, May 12, 2022 Viewing and ceremony begins at noon, followed by burial at 2:00.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.pacificviewcalifornia.com for the Omicioli family.