Norma Goldman

Goldman, Norma
Norma Goldman of Fountain Hills, Arizona passed away peacefully on October 1, 2011 at the age of 89 after bravely battling cancer for the past year. She was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on March 30, 1922, though always asserted that the date was incorrect, in the same manner that she would have edited any material handed to her. Norma was happily married to Bernard Goldman for sixty-one years until his death in 2006. She is survived by her son Mark, daughter-in-law Carolyn, and most importantly her grandchildren Liam and Grace whom she loved dearly and brightened her life greatly. In addition to a lifetime of teaching at Wayne State University, Norma was a tireless scholar, constantly engaged in multiple projects, that included everything from the authorship of books and articles, Roman costume reconstruction and shows, underwater archaeology in the Mediterranean Sea (taken up in her seventies), the study of ancient Roman oil lamps, producing educational and historic films with BBC and NOVA, volunteer work with senior citizen writer groups whose members ironically eventually ended up much younger than she. As a professor at Wayne State University for over forty-eight years, she taught such diverse courses as Latin, Life in Ancient Rome, and Etymology to name merely a few. While teaching, Norma was the President of the Detroit Classical Association, President of the Classical Society of the American Academy in Rome, Secretary of the Antiquaries at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Regional Representative for the Classical Association of MiddleWest and South, and a tour leader for the Detroit Institute of Arts tours of Rome and the Bay of Naples area, along with presenting many scholarly lectures including a most recent one at the University of Pennsylvania, Museum of Archaeology. Additionally, she participated in archaeological excavations and studies at Caesarea in Israel and Persepolis in Iran. Her book publications were numerous including, but not limited to, a continual best-selling textbook, Latin via Ovid; English Grammar for Students of Latin; New Light from Ancient Cosa; The World of Roman Costume. Currently, her most recent book, My Dura Europas, completed by her at the age of 88, is scheduled for publishing in November of 2011. Her articles and other publications are too numerous to mention and included an acclaimed article "Reconstructing the Roman Colosseum Awning." She was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wayne State University and earned the distinguished alumni award in 1985. For the past thirty years, until and including last fall, Norma spent her summers and falls in Rome where she was a distinguished visiting scholar at the American Academy in Rome, and would take her colleagues on guided tours of the Colosseum, the Forum and other historical monuments. Her annual presence there will be greatly missed by the Academy. With her last breaths, Norma as the intrepid and inherent teacher and academic, was lecturing friends at her bedside about details of Assyrian history. She departed as she would have wished and on her terms, imparting her knowledge and wisdom to others. Norma's funeral service will take place on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 10 a.m. in Scottsdale, Arizona where she will be interred next to her husband. Please contact her family for details as to the service at NormaObit@aol.com.