Norma Jean La Bat

Norma Jean La Bat has finished her earthly journey. She lived her life courageously and always focused on looking ahead. She was born on November 22, 1944, and lived a life rooted in Richmond, California. Her life was shaped by curiosity, style, and a deep belief in community. She was a mother to two daughters, Jerina and Cheryl, and a proud grandmother to Wesley. She also loved Gloria, Wesley's partner, and embraced Gloria as family. Norma is preceded in death by her parents, Alfred and Matlyne Eubanks.

She is survived by her sister, Patsy Hawkins, and her brother, Vaughn Eubanks, as well as her nephews Jeff Hawkins Jr., Jeff Hawkins III, Isaac Hawkins, and Isaiah Hawkins. To her family and lifelong friends, including Connye, Michèle, Marc and Arthur, Norma was steady, funny, thoughtful, and always evolving. She was known as someone who could hold her own in any conversation. She did not shrink from controversy, but she would end any debate and soften conflict by making laughter serve as the glue that held relationships together.

Norma grew up in Richmond and carried those roots with pride. She attended Potrero School through her early years, and later graduated from El Cerrito High School. She continued her education with a practical and determined mindset. She took general business courses at Contra Costa College in San Pablo, and later at Heald's Business College in Oakland. She completed a diploma in Medical Terminology at Dickinson and Warren Business College in Berkeley. Norma believed in utilizing every opportunity to develop skills, sharpen tools, stay informed, and engage in activities that stimulated the mind. She was a lifelong learner who continuously increased her knowledge.

That same drive showed up in her working life. She had an impeccable work ethic and built a long, dependable career doing detailed, skilled work that required focus and precision. In the mid-1960s and early 1970s, these accomplishments became the cornerstone of her excelling in roles connected to the UC Berkeley Extension in both Richmond and Berkeley. She also worked at the Richmond UC Press, where she handled coding and processing invoices and checked for accuracy before ordering college textbooks.

Additionally, she worked for UC Berkeley Sanitary Engineering, where she managed administrative and office support tasks to keep operations moving at maximum capacity. Accepting more responsibility, she continued to work with UC Berkeley UNEX Recording in an administrative role where she maintained student records, and with UC Berkeley Extension Media where she helped analyze and code films, scheduled film services, answered phones, and provided customer service support. During her years working in Berkeley, Norma also became very involved politically and showed up for causes she believed in, including the Black conscience movement and the activism that mattered to her. Because of her careful attention to detail, she functioned in an organized and reliable manner, and she became the kind of person people depended on.

Norma later joined Kaiser Health Plan in Oakland, where she processed out-of-area emergency medical claims and handled correspondence and member support. Before retiring, she worked with an optical laboratory in San Leandro where she processed prescriptions and provided technical support. Throughout her career, she took pride in doing things correctly and efficiently. She liked systems that worked, and she was the kind of person people counted on.

Norma was a forward thinker. She kept up with technology and stayed curious about new tools, including using ChatGPT with genuine interest. She followed current events, enjoyed research, and was often exploring ideas simply because she wanted to understand more. She also had a spiritual and reflective side. Astrology and birth charts were of interest to her, and she approached them with real curiosity. She enjoyed exploring meanings, patterns, and behaviors, and it was one of the areas she enjoyed discussing in relaxed conversations.

Outside of work, Norma's creative spirit was unmistakable. She had a sharp eye for beauty and detail. Norma was known for her iconic sense of style. She did not simply get dressed, she put herself together with care. Bright colors, magnificent scarves, hats and accessories, and her signature red glasses became part of how people remembered her. She appreciated craftsmanship in all its forms. Stained glass and ceramics were part of that world, and she admired the color, the patience, and the intention behind them. She also loved dance in all its forms, including belly dancing, and she was a conga drummer.

Norma also had a disciplined, analytical side. She was interested in markets and personal finance. She enjoyed the challenge of learning, discussing, and testing strategies, including options trading. She refined those skills through the Silicon Valley Options Group and valued being around others who took the craft seriously. She was proud of being able to keep up with complex topics, and she liked connecting with people who were committed to learning. It was part of her independence. She believed in staying sharp and making informed decisions.

Just as important as her interests were her people. Norma had lifelong friends, and those friendships meant the world to her. She valued loyalty, shared history, and showing up for the people you love. She also embraced a wide circle of extended family, long-time neighbors, old classmates, and friends she made through work and community life. Many families came to know her through the East Bay French American School, where Wesley attended K–8, and she stayed connected through those years and beyond. Norma was the kind of person who kept relationships over time, even as life changed, and that steadiness became one of her quiet gifts.

Norma cared deeply about Richmond, especially South Richmond. She stayed engaged in what was happening locally. She believed in dignity and fairness, and she showed up as an advocate for families. She spoke up on housing issues and tenant protections. She supported efforts focused on keeping people in their homes, and put real time into local campaign work for candidates she believed would be good for Richmond. Along the way, she found real community in that work, including the friendships and shared efforts with Lorraine and Ricky Pitre, Christina, Leisa, and Mike. Each of these people were close to her and cared deeply about making change in Richmond.

Education was a high value in her life. She supported students and promoted opportunities through community-based leadership and helped fundraising efforts connected to Contra Costa College. She was recognized for years of outstanding leadership, service, advice, and counsel as a member of the Contra Costa College Foundation Board of Directors, and she valued the mission of expanding opportunity for students. She also believed in showing up in practical ways. In the Project SEED summer program, she was recognized for arriving early each morning, helping wherever needed, and playing a key role in keeping the program organized and running smoothly. She also volunteered through a local food clinic, serving in quiet, consistent ways that reflected her belief in taking care of people.

Later, Norma took real interest in the Berkeley Global Campus conversation and the future of the Richmond Bay area. She paid attention, asked questions, and cared about what development could mean for Richmond's long-term progress. Even when she knew she might not personally see every chapter of that progress, she still felt excited to witness change moving in the right direction for the city and for the people she loved.

Norma's life also included a place that brought her peace, Moser Lane. Daily morning walks up Moser Lane mattered to her. It represented calm, routine, and a sense of belonging, a place where she could breathe and reset. In a world that could feel busy and heavy at times, she valued spaces that felt grounded.

Norma Jean La Bat will be remembered for her intelligence, creativity, discipline, and fierce love for family and community. Her daughters, Jerina and Cheryl, her grandson Wesley and his loved one, Gloria, her sister Patsy Hawkins, her brother Vaughn Eubanks, her nephews Jeff Hawkins Jr., Jeff Hawkins III, Isaac Hawkins, and Isaiah Hawkins were at the center of her love, along with extended family and lifelong friends who helped shape a life full of meaning, laughter, conversation, and care for others. The impact she made lives on in the people who knew her, who learned from her, who loved her, and who will carry her in their hearts.