Norma Joan Vlahavas

April 21, 1937 – September 23, 2026

To have known Norma Vlahavas was to have loved her. Born on her family’s dairy farm in Westfield, WI on April 21, 1937, she skillfully combined strong country work ethic with an intense passion to help others. For all of us, and likely many of you too, Mom encapsulates what we strive to be: Strong in Faith, Knowledgeable in Care, Reliable in Service, and Helpful in Opportunity.

As an active member of Signal Hill Lutheran Church for many years, she called volunteers, drove fellow members to church, mailed cards of encouragement and celebration, and donated food both for celebrations of success and in times of community need. The strength of her faith in Jesus and showing this love to others knew no bounds.

Through her RN degree from Deaconess Nursing School and her years of work in the ICU at Deaconess Hospital in Milwaukee, she helped cure patients and served as a mentor to others in her profession. Later, as the go-to neighborhood nurse, she saved many children from unnecessary ER visits. Of course, there were situations that did, in fact, require that trip, but we digress…. Her knowledge helped save lives and led others to provide excellent care for patients and their children as well.

Mom introduced us to the wonderful opportunity of being stationed abroad for six years with memorable trips to the Rhine River, gazillions of castles, the Zugspitze and even Athens, Greece to see family in the summers! Once stateside again, most Belle Valley teachers in the eighties likely knew mom for sharing her excellent typing abilities, her organizational skills and her amazing cooking and baking skills, especially for homemade brownies, second only to THE BEST RECIPE FOR BAKLAVA EVER!!! We are blessed as adults to still know so many of the teachers for whom she volunteered. Her reliability and excellent treat recipes brought smiles to many of our teachers and neighbors too!

The bygone days of a single-corded phone line in the kitchen opened Mom’s outreach to all our friends. Many had been graced by her caring efforts in our childhood home, and others, as we grew older, knew her as the kind voice willing to listen to anything they wanted to share. So many friends have recalled these calls with fondness over the years, and others were still checking in on her in recent weeks! An empathetic ear or an enthusiastic cheerleader, no matter the need, Mom participated willingly!

Grandma V continued her lifetime of talents with ALL TEN of her grandchildren! Each of them has special memories of their times with her: singing (esp. You are My Sunshine), playing piano for her, vintage fashion shows, sunflowers, favorite colors of yellow & purple/NOT black, playing games like UNO, Go Fish!, War, High/Low and always letting us win, Friday get-togethers, buttered noodles, handwritten notes, cinnamon crunch bagels, pick-ups from school, cardinal birds, butterflies, sneaky squirrels, flowers, fall leaves, Little Caesar’s pizza, Thanksgiving stuffing, the Packers, pistachio dessert, sneaking money to us without mom knowing, sunshine, encouraging phone calls, reminders like “Try your best and get your rest!”

While our hearts break for this incredible loss, we are comforted in knowing Mom rejoins our dad, Panteles (Pete) Vlahavas; her parents, Walter and Hertha Schwanke (nee Wachholz); our cousins, John Dalamisios and Amy Ann Schwanke; and her son-in-law, Brett Dardeen, in the heavenly place that He prepares for all believers.

Left here to do our best to continue her legacy are her four children: Christina (Bob) Farmer of Shiloh, Sophia (Bob) Powers of Belleville, Joanna Dardeen (Loren Bruns) of Shiloh and John Vlahavas (Amelia Roberts) of Glen Ellyn; her ten grandchildren: Austin, Alexis, Ashleigh, Danielle, Dalton, Dillon, Athena, Evangeline, Alexandra and John; her sister, Norlene (Dick) Woldt of Oshkosh, WI; her brother, Arlynn (Ann) Schwanke of Sun Prairie, WI; her sister-in-laws, Athena Charizopoulos of Wauwatosa, WI and Youla (Andreas) Kotsilianou of Athens, Greece; and many nephews, nieces and friends spanning the globe. A special thank you to her dear friends from California and Florida who regularly checked in on how she was doing from afar.

We invite you to stop by and share your memories with us at Lake View Funeral Home on Friday, October 16th from 4-8pm, or worship with us at Signal Hill Lutheran Church at 10am on Saturday, October 17th with Pastor Mark Wiesner officiating. Interment will follow.