Norma R. Norm, Normie, Baby, Honey Bunch and Tizzy Riebling Tisdel

Norma "Tizzy" Tisdel

The love of my life died May 2, 2013. Tizzy died suddenly, with no warning, from a brain hemorrhage caused by an aneurism.

Norm and I met and fell in love in Dover, New Hampshire in 1975 where we had both parachuted into from our respective lives. She an educator, and me an oil refinery shift supervisor. She announced that she was returning to Arizona and I said I would like to tag along. Norm and I (tagging along) returned to Arizona, in the summer of 1976, where she had attended the University of Arizona.

Norm started working for the Phoenix Union High School District at South Mountain High School. She had six glorious years at South where she taught government and history and was the advisor for Model UN and Student Government, and was put in charge of the graduation of the senior class for two years. While at South one of the students said "Tis the season" and started calling her Ms. Tis, which then stuck. It then became Tizzy as a result of the movie "Roots" which had a character name Kizzie. Since then Norm has been Tizzy.

Shool closures forced her to move to several other schools over the next few years. She then moved into an administrative position running the alternative and dropout programs, and EAP for the District. After taking a buyout from Phoenix Union she kept returning and performing various jobs until a friend, Joanne, called her repeatedly, saying "you need to come to this new school and see these kids, they are amazing, and so are the teachers and staff who push and prod them to perform at their very best. She was supposed to go into Bio on Friday, May 3 to work and also participate in evaluating one of the senior projects. As Tizzy often said to parents, "If your son or daughter, love math or science, this is the place for them to attend high school, but only if they want to attend." Tizzy believes in public education and the Phoenix Union High School District was "home" to Tizzy.

Norm was born in Detroit, Michigan June 23, 1941. She had one brother Fred and two sisters Florence and Theone, nieces - Karen (Randy) and Sharon (Marty), nephews - Paul (Karen), Kurt (Sheri) and Dennis (Marilyn) and a nephew by marriage and divorce - Steve (Beth).

Norm was proud to be from Detroit where she attended MacKenzie High School. She was all about cats - Tigers and Wildcats.

She was a lifelong Detroit Tigers fan ands we would make trips to see the "boys" play in Detroit or at other parks each year. In fact, we were going to go to Kansas City to see them play the Royals in June and then visit the Negro League Baseball Museum - a must see.

Norm attend the University of Arizona where she had many dear friends and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History. Once she received her degree she then took classes for credentialing as a teacher. She referred to U of A as "home".

Norm's first stop in teaching was at Casa Grande High School for two years, then Sunnyside High School in Tucson for two years. She then taught at Las Cruces High School in New Mexico for three years. Norm then taught for American Schools in Bogata , Columbia before heading to Rochester High School in New Hampshire where she taught for three years. Since 1976 she has been with Phoenix Union High School district.

Norm was full of humor, love and compassion. She always said: "Make your own good time" "Find humor in everything you do". Expect nothing." Norm wrote down many thoughts over the years and as I was looking through them I ran across this one: "Don't miss today rushing for tomorrow."

Tizzy was ever the humorist so understand where this is coming from: We have many dear friends and Tizzy would love to be here to see you today but she just couldn't make it. We had 37+ years of fun and happiness.

Oh how I miss the love of my life -- now, forever and always, beyond all of the universes.

If you wish to acknowledge "Tizzy" Norm please consider making a donation in her name to the University of Arizona to their scholarship fund or to Bioscience High School to support their many activities or to the Phoenix Union High School District Foundation.