Norma R Kirkman

This first verse of the Gospel of St. John, Chapter 14 (KJV), and the following three verses sum up the faith of NORMA RUTH KELLY KIRKMAN.

Norma was born on May 11, 1932 in Lumberton, Mississippi (population 1800). Her father, THOMAS ADDISON (T.A.) KELLY, was a mail carrier in Lumberton. On Sundays during the war (World War II), Mr. Kelly used to deliver the mail from servicemen to their families.

Norma’s mother was CAMMIE BLACKLEDGE KELLY. Norma was the youngest child. Her two brothers were T.A. KELLY, Jr., and WILLIAM (BILL) KELLY; both predeceased her. They all went to the Southern Baptist Church in Lumberton, where Norma was church pianist most of her high school years. Norma finished Lumberton High School in 1950, and attended Mississippi Woman’s College, a Baptist college, with full piano scholarship. The college is now known as William Carey College and is coeducational.

In Sept. 1951, after her father died, Norma and her mother moved to southern California, where Norma worked at Lockheed Aircraft and Encyclopedia Americana. In October,1957, her mother got cancer, and Norma nursed her for six months until the end of her life.

In 1958 Norma met and married ROBIN C. KIRKMAN. Norma and Robin lived first in Tarzana, California, for two years and then moved to Northridge. They attended Southern Baptist churches in both towns. Norma was the Church Pianist in both churches. Norma and Robin had three children: DAVID STUART (Born in 1960), HEATHER LYNN (1963), and STEPHEN SEAN (1966). In 1967, Norma and Robin moved the family to Portland, Oregon.

David, their first child, was born with a cleft lip and palate. With the help of a family friend, Norma and Robin find a plastic surgeon to fix the lip and palate. But as time went on, it became apparent that David had other problems. It turned out that he was deaf and autistic. He eventually had to be placed in a special home for handicapped children. In 1970, Norma and Robin were divorced. Nevertheless, the two remained close over the years since the divorce.

Heather married VINCENT VILTRAKIS (deceased) with whom she had three children: BLAKE, BROCK, BRITTANY. Heather also has three grandchildren: TAYLOR, BROOKE, and ANTHONY. Heather’s fiancé GREG BROWN whom Norma really liked works in the environmental field. Heather worked as a certified nursing assistant for twenty years.

Stephen worked in the Portland area during college. He attended Portland State University majoring in Computer Science. After graduating he joined the Air Force. While in the Air Force he met and married EVA MARIA ROSADO, who is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force. They have one son, WILLIAM.

From 1972 to 1997 Norma worked as a Pathology transcriber in three Portland area hospitals: Providence, Emanuel, and Good Samaritan. Because of her experiences with David, Norma was invited to contribute to a book on motherhood written by mothers about their experiences with their children: Swollen Ankles & Blowfish Kisses. The chapter about David is entitled, “This is David’s Story.” Following the chapter is a description of Autism.

Norma has had many cats over the years. Some of their names were Yoda, Tibideau, Sammy and Kitty Boy. Stephen provided her with a computer on which she spent time writing about her life. She also watched reruns of The Golden Girls and tried, each day, to list all the things which she was grateful for, and thought of many things to laugh about.

Mom died January 6th in her sleep at Providence Medical Center, Portland Oregon. She always trusted in the promises summed up in John 14:1-4. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.”