SEND FLOWERS
Obituary
Norma was born and raised in Taylor, Michigan during the Great Depression. Her parents, Marie and Joe Frolich, while not rich in money, provided a childhood rich in love, learning, and experience. She often commented that she did not know she was poor growing up.
Her love of books and reading as a child led her to become the first in her family to attend college. She graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in teaching, which became the joy of her life.
Norma first taught at Whitmore-Bolles Elementary School in Dearborn. Later, when her husband, Kenneth, a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, was stationed in Florida, she continued teaching there. The school served a community in need, and Norma secretly paid for lunches for the children who had none - never seeking recognition. She rallied her friends at the school in Dearborn, and they contributed much needed supplies to her students.
When she returned to Michigan, Norma moved to Dearborn Heights, where she taught at Hillcrest Elementary School for 30 years - 10 years each in first, second, and third grades. She loved teaching and had an extraordinary gift for bringing out the best in each of her students. Her teaching scrapbook, filled with class photos and mementos, remained proudly on her coffee table until her last day.
Norma was immensely proud of her two daughters and their accomplishments: Darlene, who pursued a career in musical performance, and Shelley, who became a physician. She gave boundless love and attention to her three grandchildren: Drew, Emily, and Elizabeth Potter. She taught and nurtured them with all her heart. She was so excited to welcome her new great-grandbaby, Finn. Her influence is directly responsible for the wonderful and accomplished humans they have all become.
Twenty-six years ago, Norma moved to Grand Rapids, and between caring for her grandkids, she immediately went to work cultivating her beautiful flower gardens. She loved being surrounded by trees, flowers, and the birds who visited her feeders. Throughout her final months, her gardens remained vibrant with flowers and life, with the help of the village of her family, friends, and neighbors.
Over her 95.5 years, Norma loved a number of collies and shelties, especially Ginger, her last sheltie. After Ginger passed, she felt she was too old to care for another, though her love for dogs never faded, and she had almost daily visits from grand-dogs and great-grand-dogs.
She had a lifelong passion for dolls and curated a stunning collection, spending hours admiring the fine details in her dedicated doll room. Norma also collected hummels and travelled to Germany several times with the Hummel Club. She loved beautiful rocks, and her grandchildren contributed to her growing collection by bringing stones from all over the world to donate to her yard. She would often comment on what archeologists of the future would think when they found all these exotic specimens in her yard.
Norma touched so many lives and her Facebook page is filled with the memories of former students, a testament to the impact she made in their lives. She passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 21. Visitation and a remembrance will be held at Michigan Memorial in Detroit on Friday, August 29 from 1-2:45pm. All who knew and loved her are welcome to attend.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the following:
Humane Society of West Michigan
St. Jude Children's Hospital
American Lung Association
