Norma Olive Drosdowech was born on May 19, 1935. She lived in a tiny house on Minto Street with her parents, George and Olive Johnson, and her older brother Bob. They moved to Claremont Avenue when she was six. Memories of growing up in Norwood and CGIT were dear. She excelled at school, especially in English, but also got in trouble for flirting with the boys. She became a lovely piano player. Her mother’s fine sewing skills allowed Norma to look fashionable on a modest family income. A lifelong swimmer, many happy times were spent at the family cabin at Red Rock.
Norma was a caregiver and great support to her own mother and aunts. Her father passed away only two weeks before Laura was born. Although heartbreaking to Norma, she became the leader of her family. She maintained meaningful connections with Bob’s family and his wife Sunny on the west coast.
On scholarship, Norma completed her Bachelor of Arts, Paedogogy and Education degrees. She was Lady Stick at the Faculty of Education and was the outstanding graduate of her sorority. Life-long friendships with her ADPi sisters were treasured. Her parents were proud of her academic achievements as their own schooling was cut short due to hardships.
Norma began teaching at Glenlawn Collegiate in 1957 where she met her husband Peter. Romance was encouraged between staff making it easier to court a colleague back then! They wed on July 29, 1961 and honeymooned in Europe for six weeks. Norma and Peter were partners in marriage, parenting, teaching, business and travel. Their lives were intertwined, yet they gave each other room to grow. She missed Peter tremendously.
Norma gave birth to four daughters in six years: Laura, Linda, Sandra (Jason) and Carol (John). She was a fun and loving mother. She sewed our clothes (matching), ran a nursery school, was a brownie leader, read and sang to us, helped with essays and life. She had a relaxed approach to house-keeping and created a cozy home to grow up in. She was present for long talks and lots of laughs. Mom said she loved it all - the early years, the teen years and seeing her daughters become women.
A homemaker for twelve years, Mom stayed interested in feminism, politics and education. She went back to teaching in 1975 as a kindergarten teacher before becoming a Family Life Educator. An advocate in the 80s for “sex ed”, Norma insisted, in the face of great controversy, children have a right to learn about their sexuality. She earned her Master of Education degree in 1989 and became a school counsellor impacting the lives of children and staff. The friendships she made in the St. Vital School Division, especially with the gang, ran deep. She retired in 1995 and began teaching at the University of Manitoba.
Norma relished playing host with Peter! Everyone liked to hang out at 4 River Lane: get-togethers at the house, kids in the yard, teenagers in the basement, grandchildren in the pool, and Sunday dinners with the good china. Her house was the party venue for decades. Norma enjoyed sitting in her verandah with a cup of coffee looking out over River Lane and her family of neighbours.
Norma loved going to church! It was an important part of her entire life. She joined the Unitarian Church later in life and embraced a spiritual community that was openly diverse. In her role as Chaplain, she gave sermons, performed marriages and funerals, and guided pastoral care. Her oratorical skills were first noted at church when she was young. Being an exceptional speaker was something she prized all her life.
Mom was a rare individual who liked going to meetings and belonging to committees! She had strong convictions, a tireless work ethic and believed in serving her community. The weight of her words was always a force for good. She resembled the Queen so when she aired her opinion it could be quite regal! She served on countless groups, her last being with the Manitoba Council on Aging.
Peter’s family was important to Norma. She was close with his parents, sisters Ellen, Phyllis and Leona, their husbands and children; especially Phillip and Mark. The many trips to Dauphin made it feel like her own hometown. Good times were had running Clear Lake Lodge with Peter, Phyllis and Jake. She thrived as an Innkeeper and adored spending time with guests. Trips to Clear Lake with family were the best of days.
In 2001 Norma celebrated the arrival of her first grandchild with six more to follow. She was an adoring and accepting grandmother with curly silver hair and a warm smile. She was present in their lives and expressed gratitude her grandchildren were in Winnipeg. Emily, Sage, Andrew, Zoe, Lucy, Jackson, Gloria, as well as her step-grandchildren Danny and Ethan, enjoyed running amuck at Grandma and Papa’s.
Norma enjoyed concerts and events at Rainbow stage, the WSO, and MTC. She played the piano with glee at home, church, school and the Lodge. Reading and writing were also hobbies. She read Little Women and Anne of Green Gables every year. She liked writing memoirs, speeches and Christmas letters. She once penned a letter of complaint in prose (a sonnet!) to the Minister of Education.
Mom lived her last years at home with Sandra and Jason’s family. Mom spoke often of loving the house, the cats, and the view of the river and memories of Peter. Mom liked to talk and enjoyed the company of her home-care companions, especially Maricel. It was an honour for Sandra to care for our mother at home. Sandra hoped she would live to 100, just like Aunt Pat, but that was not to be. Mom died peacefully at home with family all around. We will miss her and love her for all our days to come.
People were drawn to Norma’s light, compassion and wisdom. She was a trail-blazer and a kind soul. Her wish for the world was for people to open their hearts to embrace the delightful diversity of humanity and to care for each other. Donations in her honour can be made to Rossbrook House, an inner-city youth centre, founded by her sorority sister, Sister Gerry MacNamera.
A zoom service will be held Friday, May 7 at 7:00 pm. You may follow this link to view the service: https://zoom.us/j/94421897098?pwd=VkF0UnFxTXQ2bld5ZG83bk9YeU5FUT09
Light a candle and enjoy a beverage of your choice to help us celebrate Norma’s life.
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