She was born in Bristol, Hartford County, Connecticut on September 19, 1929 to William Hamlin and Mary Sarah Ashline (Hamlin). The third of three children, she is preceded in death by her older sister Rita Perkins and brother, Richard Hamlin.
Norine grew up in the Hartford area attending elementary and middle school. In 1943, she married Charles Edwin Haley. The couple had two children, Edward in 1944 and Janet in 1946. Their marriage dissolved later that year and she became a working single mom for the next several years.
In early 1950, she moved in with her best friend Lois Plumbly in New London Connecticut. Lois’s husband Jack was stationed in new London, with the U.S. Coast Guard. In March of that year, she met Melvin Kealoha Bell of Hilo Hawai’i, at a St. Patrick’s Day dance. He was a Chief in the Coast Guard serving as an instructor at the Electronics Technician’s School in Groton CT.
Mel was an avid dancer and almost literally swept her off her feet. It was a quick courtship and they married on May 26, 1950 in Brooklyn New York. He had two children from a previous marriage, Laura and Melvin Jr. who lived in Honolulu. They became her stepchildren.
As a military spouse, Norine endured long separations from her husband due to the needs of the service.In April 1951, she gave birth to their first child, daughter Sandra in New London. After serving a year overseas, Mel returned in 1954, and was transferred to Boston, Mass where Norine would later give birth to son Robert in 1955, and daughter Elaine in 1956.
Mel retired from the service in 1958, took a civil service job in Hawai’i and the family relocated to Honolulu in February 1959.Norine’s lifelong love of the “Islands” began almost immediately. She was a homemaker and mother, as was the case for so many women of that era, and gave birth to their final two children; John in 1960, and Rita in 1962. They purchased their first home in Ewa Beach, when it was still considered a rural area of O’ahu.
She was endeared by the casual lifestyle and “Aloha Spirit” of the people of Hawai’i, and became very close with her mother in law, Annie K. Bell. The family moved to Hawai’i Kai in 1970 but reluctantly had to leave the islands in 1974 as Mel was transferred to Southern California. The family took up residence in the city of Westminster.
Living in Westminster since 1975, Norine worked through the 1980’s and 90’s as a cashier at Hunter’s Pharmacy until it went out of business. She then got a job for a time in another pharmacy associated with a local hospital. For a time they rented a condo in San Diego and then Carlsbad where she lived temporarily to be closer to her children and grandchildren. She also volunteered at a hospital gift ship in San Diego.
She had a beautiful voice, enjoyed singing and drawing, a talent which she generally kept private. She loved watching “old” movies with her favorite childhood stars such as Shirley Temple, Judy Garland and Elizabeth Taylor. She also enjoyed traveling and spending time visiting her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren throughout the country. Making annual trips to the islands, she always longed to return to Hawai’i in retirement but that unfortunately never came to pass.
Mel and Norine celebrated their 68th anniversary in 2018 a few months before he passed away on September 9th of that year. In 2016 she was diagnosed with the debilitating symptoms of Alzheimer’s/Dementia and lived out the remainder of her life in the loving care of her children and the outstanding medical team provided by Kaiser Permanente Orange County.
A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints since 1960, she served in many callings with the Primary organization and Cub Scouts. She and Mel were members of the Westminster Ward congregation for 45 years. She has left a legacy of faith and love for the gospel of Jesus Christ through her example to family members and friends.
Norine is survived by 8 children: step-daughter Laura Cormack of Provo Utah, Edward Haley of Tucson AZ., Janet Anderson, Sandra Koengeter, Elaine Whitfield, and Rita Mayer of San Diego, Robert Bell of Westminster, and John Bell of Menifee. She also has 27 grandchildren, 53 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great grandchildren.
A family viewing will be held on Wednesday evening from 5:00pm to 8:00pm at the Westminster Memorial Park Chapel, located at 14801 Beach Blvd., Westminster, California.
She will be laid to rest near her beloved eternal companion at Riverside National Cemetery in a private service on Thursday, October 29, 2020.
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