Norma Vidal Pinto

On May 6, 2022, Norma Vidal passed away surrounded by her loved ones after a struggle with kidney disease. She is survived by her adoring husband Bernie D’Aoust, her two children, Virginia Zepeda and Jose Luis Ripoll, her sister Leticia, her brother Francisco, and her grandchildren Natalia, Scott, and Flavio Cristian.

Norma was a prolific artist who in a more thoughtful world, would need no introduction. Born in Chile on September 30, 1938, Norma’s youth was spent in various Chilean towns and cities, eventually settling in Arica with her family. Sadly, the Chilean coup d’etat in 1973 brought great tragedy when her husband was assassinated, leading her to depart her beloved homeland and move to Canada with her two children.

After immigrating to Canada in 1975, she developed a deep affection for her new country. Sensitive and intelligent, Norma Vidal lived the rest of her 47 years in this land that she called home, finding many friends and new love along the way. Her talent and love for the arts, which began in Chile, continued to guide her life in Canada as an ongoing source of purpose and creativity. She was well known and loved in the local Chilean/Latino community and was respected for her life-long commitment to fomenting equality, justice, and women’s rights through the arts. Shortly before her death, she published a final collection of short stories and illustrations, a project which gave her great joy in her final months.

To know Norma was to love her, whether because of the mischievous twinkle in her eye, her willingness to speak her mind, or through listening to her vividly tell tales of misadventure as one of the first female bus drivers in Edmonton. She took a lot of love and life with her when she left. We honour her today, knowing her story to be a complex mix of loss, laughter, and love, and from which we can all learn if we are willing to open our eyes to the secret wonders in life.

A Memorial Service for Norma will be held Sunday, June 12, 2022 at 3:00 PM at Hainstock's Funeral Home & Crematorium, 9810 34 Avenue NW, Edmonton, Alberta, followed by a reception from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.hainstockedmonton.com for the Vidal Pinto family.