Norma Viola Moores

1962 - 2022

If you are reading this, I am no longer here. I have died of metastatic lobular breast cancer. It was not a battle, for I would have won a battle. It was just a tricky disease with imperfect treatments.

I was born in Middleton, Nova Scotia, and raised by my father, Albert (1914-1986), and mother, Birdie (Redden) in Kingston, Nova Scotia. The youngest of four siblings, you would think I would be the one babied. Instead, I developed independence to a fault. My older sister, Anne, was my playmate. My two older brothers, Gregory and Stephen (1954-2013) teased me. Steve, in particular, having endured his little sister being born on his 8th birthday, made sure I got lots of ribbing, but also a special connection as his 'twin'.

I went to Kingston Elementary School and West Kings District High School. Growing up with family and friends in the Annapolis Valley gave me solid roots from which I grew.

I chose to attend Queen's University and enrolled in physics. On the advice of my physics professor, I transferred to Applied Science, because it was 'easier', and obtained my Civil Engineering degree in 1985.

I met my life partner, Marcus Buck, in Ottawa on July 1, 1986. We saw fireworks. Marcus will forever be my partner in adventures, appreciating nature, and loving our family. I could rely on him to think things through thoroughly, fire off witty comebacks, and provide emotional support to me as I navigated my career. He is a great person to co-parent with. We made Hamilton Ontario our home.

I never knew how big my heart was until I had kids. My son, Kelly, and daughter, Shannon, are not only two people I love deeply, but I also LIKE them for the individuals they are. I like our shared experiences in nature, at meals, over board games, and conversations. I will miss your warm hugs and bright personalities.

I worked pretty hard as a consulting engineer for 30 years. As a woman engineer, it was tricky and sometimes downright discouraging. Over time I gained expertise in making communities more bicycle and pedestrian friendly and accessible. I ended my career working at IBI Group, which gave me great satisfaction with interesting projects, clients, communities and team members. I am proud of having received the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.

My only regrets are the amount of garbage I generated and the fossil fuels I consumed. May the next generation be able to find system-wide shifts to take better care of ourselves and our planet.

I loved being outdoors and sharing that experience with family and friends. I especially loved cycling - to work, around the neighbourhood, for an afternoon, or on week-long holidays, in good weather and in the winter. I encouraged lots of people to try cycling and experience its joy and freedom. When I was younger, I played in whitewater in kayaks and canoes, tried rock climbing, followed Marcus into many caves, cross-country skied and backpacked. Adventures eventually calmed down a little and I came to appreciate canoeing on quiet lakes, hiking nearby trails, and bird watching. I found joy being on the water with two Hamilton dragon boat teams: Lively Dragon and Knot A Breast. I even won a Canadian National Dragon Boat gold medal. I loved losing myself in watercolour painting, something I did as a teenager, before kids and then as cancer slowed my pace in the last few years. You would think that life is all about the big adventures; it is the everyday things that I loved too - a piece of dark chocolate, cats on my lap, reading a good book, watching a good Korean drama, observing the birds on our feeders, listening to my kids laugh, making and sharing a meal, smiling at Marcus's wittiness, thinking of friends like you.

So, if you are reading this, know that I had a full life that I loved living. Don't send flowers. You could make a donation to New Hope Community Bikes' Indigenous Bike Program (my favourite local charity with far-reaching impact), Nature Conservancy of Canada (because we need more nature and wild places), or ReThink Cancer's MBC Fund (to further our understanding of metastatic breast cancer). A celebration of my life will be held at a later date.

I am not sure if I will be truly gone forever. Maybe if you are open to it, you will feel my energy around you. Find a place in nature to shed a tear or break out in a smile for me; these are the gifts of the love and friendship we shared.

Condolences, memories and photos may be left at www.circleoflifecbc.com