Our family has been sharing our memories of Norma, we all miss her very much.  John loved seeing Norma play and spoil Avery & Jonah.  May misses their long conversations over coffee and spending time with the family.  Daryl will never forget her generosity and challenging spirit.  Tomo is so grateful for Norma's advice and thoughtfulness.  Janel will never forget the life lessons and encouragement Norma gave her.  Jasmine still wears the clothes Norma gave to her.  Just the other day, Jasmine asked where Jackie's Mom was and it left us all speechless.
  
Thank you for having such an impact on our lives, you are forever in our hearts.

Few people have such a warm loving way about them as Mama Norma did. Her home was everyones home, welcomed with 18 types of food and flowers everywhere. I always felt loved in her presence.

July 10,2012

I liked teasing Norma when we were very young. She had this passion for crying and she would cry herself to sleep. When she woke up she would try to remember what she was doing and and once she did then it was crying time  again. That was just Norma. In our high school years we became closed friends and that went on until today. Fely, my wife and Norma became the best of pals. We spend many birthdays, Thanksgivings and Christmases together with her family and mine. Although she was younger than I, Norma taught me a lot in life. I still keep her cell phone number to remember the serious and funny long weekly conversations we had together. 

This past Saturday Fely and I visited her and brought flowers. It was so peaceful and quiet. In my personal reflection I will continue to hang on to the many happy events we shared  with our families together.

-Rollie, Fely and kids...

Hello Everyone,
It's still hard to believe that Norma has been gone a year.  We miss her....  Scott, Garrett and I moved to Monterey Park to live near family (Ken, Norma & the girls). Norma welcomed us with love and open arms.  We had a lot of fabulous dinners together.  We will miss her delicious lumpias and tasty chicken adobo.  She loved sewing and making things for the girls.  Norma gave Scott  some beautiful orchids to grow in our backyard.  When she was over at our house, she would go out and help Scott prune and re-pot them.  We know Norma's birthday was a few days ago, so "Happy Birthday Norma!"
We love you and miss you!

We lived across the street from the Haras at their Durango home for a long time.  I would always say hello to Norma.  Her face was always bright, friendly and calm.  It was always nice to see her friendly smiling face.  

I went to visit the Haras at their new place in Alhambra a few years ago around the holidays.  Norma was so hospitable, welcoming me in with such warmth.  That was the last memory I have of her and I will never forget the love and warmth she showed me.

August 27, 2011

Good day to everyone. I am Norma's elder sister Lita. Although I can't be with you today, I took this opportunity of sending this message to be read by someone to honor my sister and let others know how we, her siblings, admired her the way she had lived her life. 

We are ten children in the family, Norma is the 6th child and we all grew up together living simple lives. Having lost our father at a young age we strove and did our best with God's help to be done in our studies to help us have a better future. 

However closely knitted we were, the time came when we went on separate ways, to move on, move up and move forward. We had our own families and as a wife I can say my sister, Norma, had been a good one. We know that married life will not always be rosy for that's how life goes but she and my brother-in-law made it good being together for so many years. A working mother's role is very demanding considering the three daughters she has to care for, aside from the job she has to attend to. She didn't mind if most of the money she earned went to the daycare, just to keep her job to help the family. To be sure her children were in good company.  She got acquainted with their friends, inviting and entertaining them at home. 

She applied for an early retirement in 2007 to have more time with her loved ones especially with the arrival of her two grandkids whom she loved dearly. She found true joy traveling back and forth from Las Vegas to Los Angeles to be with them and helping her daughters out in any way she could. She was indeed so happy doing this.  

Then, all of a sudden she got very sick. I visited her last May staying with her for a week. At first she didn't like this idea being a bit worried I'd get bored, and that she could no longer cook yummy foods the way she used to do every time we have a gathering at their place. I assured her it's not the reason why I came. I'd wanted to see her and be able to help in any way. 

It never crossed our minds that among us she would be the first to leave this life. She was diligent in keeping her doctor's appointment for check-ups, etc and eating healthy. Well, life on this earth is just temporary, we all have our own schedule to go – when, where and how nobody knows that we have to be prepared like a boy scout as they say. 

We are certainly missing a loving and thoughtful sister. We, her family, hold on to our fond memories of her since her childhood, to being a wife, a mother and a grandmother. We will always love you. You'll be in our thoughts, in our hearts and in our prayers. We hope that someday we'll meet again with our Creator where there will be no more pain and tears and so be it.

August 27, 2011

Dear Mom,

It's been 7 weeks since you left us, and it's finally starting to sink in just what that means. 

I'm so glad that Jason, Jonah and I came out to see you and Dad in Vegas. It was your birthday, and you'd been in the hospital a couple nights. We brought cupcakes to your room and sang Happy Birthday to you. You looked so strong and happy, just like you did before you got sick. I wish I'd taken a picture of you that day.

I'm grateful for everyone who's here today, mourning your loss and supporting our family. I'm amazed by the number of people that you affected in your short time here. I'm glad to share some of my favorite memories of you with them so that we can celebrate your life together.

I loved playing games with you when I was younger. We used to play Crazy 8s or UNO, and then you finally taught me how to play Telefunken. You'd never just let me win, I'd only win if I earned it. I wish I'd asked you your secret for Mancala, because I never could beat you at that. 

I loved that you would “tzch!” at us to get our attention, or say “gurl!” when we stepped out of line, and when you'd say “tienamogga-moggaling!” we knew we were really in trouble. I wish I knew what that meant.

I didn't love how strict you were when I was growing up, but as I got older, I grew to understand it. I never told you how much I appreciated the personal sacrifices you made for us. You were always up early in the morning, making sure we all got ready for school, cooking us breakfast, then driving each of us to a different school before heading off to work a full 8 hours. You never complained about being too tired or too stressed or anything. I don't know how you did it.

I love that you hijacked a banana plant and a bitter melon vine growing under the neighbor's fence in Alhambra and made them both fruit and flourish. I love that I can look up your house in Vegas on Google Maps, and that you have the only landscaped green backyard on the block. Every time I pass a beautiful garden or flower or fruit tree I think of you.

I loved how you would eat everything with vinegar and salt and pepper. I loved sitting next to you when we ate crab, because you'd do all the work and take the whole thing apart and I just had to sit there and eat. I still don't know how to crack open a crab by myself.

Remember that time that you made dinuguan and I tried it and loved it? Of course not, because that never happened, even though you told me many times that it did.

I loved your Christmas traditions, how you would decorate the house with tons of tinsel and lights, and put up the tree with our handmade ornaments, and you'd cook dinner for an army and a half even if there were only a few of us there. Actually, there were never just a few of us. We always had aunties & uncles, cousins, family friends, and sometimes people we'd never met before around the table with us. I loved how I'd still get presents from Santa written in suspiciously familiar handwriting. I'm not looking forward to the holidays this year.

I thought it was hilarious that you set off bug bombs in the house when Carrie, Jackie, and I WERE STILL INSIDE, and that you did it two different times. It was even funnier when we got mad at you, because you honestly didn't understand what our problem was.

I loved to watch you crochet. Your fingers would move so fast that the stitches would fly off the end of the needle. Really, anything you made with your hands was always neat and perfect. No one could roll lumpia or carve a turkey like you.

I hated how the chemo made your hands tremble and made it hard for you to hold even a glass of water. I know you hated it too.

I loved how strong you were, physically and emotionally, after you were diagnosed. I know you were in a lot of pain, but you never wanted anyone to worry about you. I wish you had leaned on us all a little more. 

I love that your influence had such an effect on my life. I have you to thank for my strong work ethic, sense of responsibility, and creativity. Thank you for being who you were.

I hate that Jonah is going to grow up without your love and guidance. He recognizes you in pictures and when I ask him about you, he says, “Lola is sleeping.” But he's so young, and I hate knowing that, inevitably, one day he won't remember you or how much you cared about him or the affection you shared. I hope these memories and the stories I tell him will help keep you in his mind for a long time.

I miss you so much. We all do.

I love you, Mom.

We were asked to give an account of what Norma meant to us or how she impacted our lives, there is a lot I can say about Norma.

I have known Norma for 25 years, the majority of those years were with the ‘original corporate team' at Union bank, I am here to represent the team, we had some very good times. Here are a few examples.

Norma meant class
She had the ability to make one feel special
She was unselfish
She was kind

Norma was on an extended vacation, and we cared so much for each other on the corporate team that we must've been missing her, two of us(Laura Perez and myself) decided to call her at home because we wanted to visit her on our lunch hour, we also asked for her to make us one of her special dishes and to our delight, she said yes. We showed up at her home and the table was set, not with paper plates and plastic forks like we were expecting, but with fine china and silver ware, what class! and her delicious ‘Chinese chicken salad' what a spread, we were beside ourselves, after all, we were only co-workers, did we deserve all this? Norma thought we did. We felt very special, of course the others had to hear about it!
Yes, she had the ability to make one feel special. Here's another example of how she made us feel special. Norma would come in on any given morning with her famous ‘banana nut bread', which we loved, although we all had the recipe, no one ever attempted to make it, no one competes with Norma's baking or cooking for fear of making a fool of themselves, I know I wouldn't.
The same goes for those brownies, Oh those delicious moist brownies. Again, we have 
the recipe, but no one ever tried to make them, at least not for work. She started making
them with nuts and some of us complained that we did not like nuts in them, she could've said ‘too bad' but she did not. The next time we had brownies we had two batches, one with nuts and one without! Who does that, Norma does, and with a sweet disposition, again, making us feel very spoiled and special. 
What she did for us was contageous, she made us want to do nice things for each other
and it also created great harmony in our department.
That puts Norma on another level as far as we were concerned.
Do not, however, mistake Norma's kindness and unselfish nature for being a pushover. Here's a funny story. I wanted to send some brownies over seas ( to India) but really wanted Norma's, although I had the recipe I did not trust myself making them as nothing ever comes out like hers, so here's me fishing for her to make them for me.
I called her and we chatted a bit, always about the girls and what they are doing, then I said, ‘I want to send some brownies overseas and yours are so rich and moist I think they would last longer in the mailing process', she said ‘really?', I said ‘yeah' she said ‘well I gave you all the recipe', I said ‘yes you did didn't you, I have to find it'. When I got off
the phone all I could say laughing to myself was, ‘well, that didn't work, now I really have to make these brownies on my own, and I did, after all, I promised my daughter I would send her ‘Norma's brownies', even my daughter knew the goodness of those brownies. I never told Norma the real reason for that phone call, I wish I had, she would've gotten a good laugh out of it, she did enjoy a good laugh.

Norma was passionate about orchids as you all know, she had a back yard full of them, I saw them myself.
Now this is the kind unselfish Norma.
One morning the original corporate team came to work and there were huge sprays of yellowish greenish orchids on every one's desk (about 8 or 9) and they were in crystal 
Vases- -talk about class! It was a beautiful sight, we had never seen anything like it.
The other departments were green with envy.
Kind gestures like that contributed to a great group and even greater comaradery among the team, thank you Norma.
When Norma told me she was retiring early, I was a little sad, but understood her situation. I even took her position on her suggestion, she told me, ‘it is an easy job you should take it,' and we both giggled, I never regretted taking it, thanks again Norma, what a good friend you are..
She was moving and could not take her precious plants due to high temp. She entrusted
a few of us with orchids & I was honored to be one of them. We received a list of instructions from her on how to care for these precious plants. One thing I did not tell her was that I did not have a green thumb! But I vowed that if Norma trusted me with her precious plants, I will do whatever it takes to keep them fed and watered and blooming- we shared notes & reported to her with every bloom, well last year 2010, for some mysterious reason, I did not get a bloom, I thought I was loosing my orchid and kept very quiet, but I did not give up, I changed it's location in the garden and gave it some extra TLC.

Well this year, in March 2011, it was in full bloom! Imagine my joy, Norma will be so proud of me, I took pictures from every angle and e-mailed the best shots to her & waited for her approval, which was important to me. Norma called me the next day, I was happy to hear from her, as she usually e-mails. We chatted about the plant, updates about the girls and the grand-babies, and then she gave me the sad news about her illness. I was devastated and could not believe what I was hearing. Norma was in good spirits, and she told me so, she even asked me to let her friends know at the bank, and I did.
Tracie, Carrie and Jackie you were blessed to have had a mother with such high caliber, she spoke of you with tremendous pride, use her life as an example to guide you through
the rest of your lives, you are who you are today because of her.
I will miss you my friend, very much! RIP!

Eleanor

August 20, 2011

A very warm and heartfelt aloha to the Hara and Bonifacio families!

It's only been five short years, but what a blessing to come to know Norma. This very special lady made us feel such a part of the immediate and the extended Hara and Bonifacio families from the get-go!  

We actually knew alot about Norma before we had the opportunity to meet her in person. On December 27, 2004, we received an e-mail from our son Chris who was living in San Francisco at the time. He shared with us, "I had a nice, relaxing Christmas with Carrie's family and was sure fed alot! They are such wonderful people, which explains alot about Carrie. Great families foster great people ..."  Needless to say, we were so delighted when our families joined, and, in spite of geographical distance, we have enjoyed so many great times together!

Special memories... there are many! A telling example... the essence of Norma... when Jane's father passed away, Norma and Ken drove up from Las Vegas to San Francisco for the services. Arrangements had been made for them to stay at a visitor's unit in the gated condo community in which Dad Keller resided. Well, when they went to check in, someone was in the unit! So... we all camped out together at Dad's small condo. Immediately, Norma was cooking, washing dishes, putting together the photo memory board to display at the services the next day, etc, etc. Norma was just always THERE... very quietly seeing what needed done, picking up pieces, and taking care of it!

How will we remember Norma? Her quiet, unassuming yet boundless energy, her warm smile, her sense of humor, her deep faith, her love of life, her unbelievable culinary talents, her green thumb!  Most of all, her love of family and friends whom she treasured. 
Ken, her special life-partner, and so proud she was of her three beautiful daughters. The arrival of Avery and Jonah brought a whole new meaning to her life. How she loved them, and what a special gift she was to them! 

What a gift she was to all of us. Mahalo, Norma, for the rich meaning you brought to all of our lives!

Howard and Jane Kadohiro   Honolulu, Hawaii


I, like you, remember Norma. Her warm smile, gentle voice, and her cheery uniqueness. 

I remember being invited to a simple dinner. Out came a turkey, a ham, some roast beef, her special broccoli casserole, vegetable medley, mashed potatoes, yams, Chinese chicken salad, two or three Filipino specialties, and three desserts all home-made. She had faith in our capacity to eat at least two helpings of everything. 

While her faith in my ability to eat was misplaced, her faith in God was unshakeable. She had unshakeable faith and love in her daughters – Tracie, Carrie, and Jackie - and Ken, her husband. She was always confident that their goodness would shine through, that despite the normal trials of growing up or growing older they would turn out right and do well.

At her simple dinner, did you ever ask Norma for one of her recipes? Chinese chicken salad, maybe? She gave you the ingredients and measures, the dressing mixing sequence, even how to toss the salad. But it didn’t come out the same. There was always something missing. Share the recipe you got with someone who got the same recipe and you discover gaps in both. Put the two different versions together and the result was not as good as Norma’s.

My family and I were neighbors. We were always better after seeing her. She always added something special into our lives. She made us happier just by being with her. Trying to figure out what she did to raise our spirits was like trying to get that secret ingredient she used in her recipe. All that matters was that she added something special to our lives and made it better. 

One day Ken told me that Norma was supposed to pick him up at Burbank Airport. He gave her exact directions. Told her from his cell phone how to get back to I-5 when she missed the on-ramp. A few hours later Ken’s brother Scott picked him up and took him home, because Norma was lost somewhere deep in Orange County. Norma had problems with directions to somewhere new.

On the road of life, Norma’s sense of direction was right on. She knew where her family should be headed and how to get them there; she was her family’s GPS for the journey of life.

So, we are all here to celebrate Norma, who left us too soon. Let us share the abundance of love, joy and fun experiences we had with Norma. Talk about that special thing that she added to each of our lives. And be guided by her unshakeable faith in God and her love for each of us.

Life is for sharing.  Food, laughter, love.  In this case, a mother’s love.  Whenever I got to visit the Hara family, Norma (also known as Mom) would greet me with her big, warm smile and welcome me with open arms.  Just like that song from Journey.  At Avery’s 2nd birthday, while we were taking down the inflatable bounce house, it had collapsed on Carrie!  I got to share a good laugh with Mom.  We all did.  And when I heard that Jackie was going to travel Europe with her, that inspired me to take my mom out to eat.  Only we didn’t go out of the country, just in lil ol’ Monterey Park.  And although she will not be able to attend my wedding someday, I am glad that I was able to share with her one of my joys in life; Porto’s Cheese Rolls.  And with that, I feel... resolved.  Today is a beautiful day and it is fitting for the beautiful person that Norma Hara was.

My condolences to you and the girls.  I will definitely miss my good friend Norma. 

I must share this short story about Norma to you.  Before retiring she willed down a few items so that I can remember her by.  She handed down to me a crystal vase, an umbrella and a pair of scissors. 
To this day, I still have these items at my desk.  As a matter of fact I'm staring at her crystal vase as I write this reply.  Her umbrella has saved me a few times (due to unexpected rain - yes, here in Cali).  As for her scissors - I have then locked away because I don't want anyone to take them from my desk (they are pretty sharp, too).  Then there's the recipes - I did manage to get her secret for her awesome brownies.  I am honored to have such wonderful "keepsakes" of my good friend Norma.  

Please let me know the details of her services

My first time meeting Auntie Norma by Nancy C. Hara

Over seven years ago I started dating Glenn and had the great pleasure of meeting his big extended family. Auntie Norma was one of those family members who always stood out as an exceptional person. I had the pleasure of meeting Auntie Norma and her warm loving hugs and smiles right before Glenn and I got married.
Compared to other family members and friends I did not know Auntie Norma for a very long time but I did get to know how special she was almost instantaneously. Auntie Norma certainly loved us all through her hugs, smiles, and of course, her delicious food. As a soon-to-be wife I had told Auntie Norma about my trials and tribulations in the kitchen. So our conversation soon led to my admissions of burning and overcooking all different types of meat. I told her my favorite thing to make was chicken enchiladas and that I was still searching for that perfect recipe. Little did I know how wonderful Auntie Norma was in the kitchen at the time.
To my surprise, shortly after meeting Auntie Norma I received an envelope in the mail from Auntie Norma herself. Enclosed was a copy of her chicken enchilada and chili sauce recipe. At the bottom of the recipe she wrote, â€œLet me know if you have any questions. Enjoy and Happy cooking. Love, Auntie Norma.â€ And she wrote her phone number at the bottom. I was so touched by her kind gesture and the fact that she thought of me after she went home. From that day forward I knew Auntie Norma was a special lady. It didn't take long for me to realize how much she cared, how much she gave, and how much she loved everyone in her life. Auntie Norma will always remind me to appreciate the little things in life. Ultimately, all the little kind gestures towards others are the very characteristics that make a person more than ordinary.  I love you Auntie Norma and I will miss you very much. Thank you for loving all of us in your extraordinary way.

The Quan Family sends their deepest condolences to the Hara Family. We were deeply sadden to hear about the news of Norma's passing. May all of the cherished moments you all shared as a family help sustain you during this difficult time.

Sincerely,
Randal, Sylvia, Ryan & Monica Quan

My favorite memory of Norma was at the Alhambra house several years ago. Our families were celebrating Thanksgiving together and Norma pulled the turkey out of the oven and said dinner was ready. A few of us noticed she only had a few dishes out and commented that we were glad she didn't cook too much this year. She agreed and then started bringing out additional dishes from the oven, boiler, and microwave! We ended up with more dishes than we usually have and enjoyed every bite.

Norma was always filled with surprises and you never knew what she was thinking. My family is so grateful for amazing neighbors and will always remember the wonderful meals & conversations we shared together through the years.

OBITUARIO

Norma Bonifacio Rodriguez Hara

2 julio, 1947 – 10 julio, 2011

Palm Eastern Mortuary & Cemetery

Muestre su apoyo

Comparta Un Recuerdo

Comparta
Un Obituario

Obtenga actualizaciones

Servicios