Norma I. Smith

NORMA IRENE SMITH
1928-2023
Norma "Mammie" Smith passed away peacefully of natural causes on January 8th, 2023, a beautiful Sunday morning, surrounded by loving family. She was born Norma Irene Sutherland in Bucksport, ME on October 22, 1928, to parents Verne Walter and Irene Emily(Oliver)Sutherland. One of ten siblings, she was predeceased by brothers Lloyd, Bud, Glen, John, and sisters Verna, Janice, Hope, Barbara.
Although she was raised during the depression era, Norma enjoyed a wonderfully simple childhood full of joy and simple pleasures. Exploring Ft. Knox and scaling the Waldo-Hancock bridge with her siblings, or fetching a pale of water from the river and coming face to face with a Moose, her childhood was full of hardships and adventure.
In her younger adult years after WWII, Norma met her husband of 53 years, Bill "Bompa" Smith. They married on November 21, 1951 and began their life journey together. Residing in the Bangor/Hermon/Brewer area, Norma enjoyed her life as a wife and homemaker to 2 children, Rose and Donald. A proud woman with a "hand up not a hand out" mentality, she contributed by taking care of the family home, as well as over the years working as a school crossing guard, and managing Top Value in Bangor. She continued her education at Beal Business College. She taught herself how to make formal and casual clothing, dresses, as well as other fashionable attire. Years later, she purchased a boutique clothing store, which she owner operated throughout the late 70's into the early 1980's. After closing the boutique, she went on to work at Freeze's Department store, retiring from the position in the mid eighties. She was always dreaming, educating, and trying to improve herself, while accumulated a vast working library including horticulture, homeopathic medicine, and general wellness.
The next chapter in her extraordinary life came her love for craft making. "Mammie's Crafts" is where she honed her gift through self lessons of crochet, macramé, knitting, sewing, and seam work. With her husband's retirement in 1983, began the adventure into the Maine craft circuit. Also during this time she became the unofficial mascot for the Bangor High Rams field hockey team, even traveling on the bus with the team, of course bringing 5lbs of her magical chocolate fudge. She always cared deeply for the ones she loved, and showed it thru her amazing sweet treats, and special crafts. At the end of each sporting season, whether it be field hockey or swimming, no team member was left out, with all receiving a custom made craft in their likeness.
One of her other passions was baking. Her gardens were second to none. In the early years she focused on herbs and flowers, with Black eyed Susans being her favorite. After moving to southern Maine, her concentration was more of the fruit and vegetable variety. Some may remember walking through her strawberry patches on a sampling tour. Jalapenos were always in the mix, being the main ingredient for her delicious Jalapeno bread. Whether she was whipping up her famous "whoopie pie cookies" or "awesome cake", or tending to her victory gardens, treats were always in the works.
Post 1985, Mam and Bomp became fixtures on the UMaine campus, and every weekend would find them at Governor's Restaurant with Teari. At the time, she also dedicated time to the UMaine craft fair festivities.
She and Bill enjoyed a simple and quiet lifestyle in Brewer in the 1990's, until the infamous ice storm of 1998, when they decided to move south to be near family and reside in Saco. They enjoyed an abundance of family and friends, July 4th celebrations, birthdays, holiday gatherings and visits, both large and small. The year 2004 brought the passing of her husband Bill, and that same year she and her granddaughter traveled the coast of Maine for a week on a bucket list check. It seemed every year or so thereafter was another bucket list endeavor to check off. She joined Rose and Teari for whiskey tastings at Clynelish distillery, toured the "Sutherland Castle" Dunrobin Scotland while tracing ancestry, basked in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, enjoyed hilarious rickshaw rides in Times Square en route to Wicked on Broadway, attended the Dr. Oz show, perused Graceland, toured the Grand Ole Opry, and viewed the Rockettes and Christmas in Tennessee with the Mandrel sisters. From Bailey Island, to lighthouse tours, and memory making seaplane rides, to the everyday things she would make so very special.
On her 94th birthday in 2022, she celebrated with those closest to her, and on Christmas of the same year she was able to hold her great great granddaughter Seraphine Violet-Rose, five generations memorialized.
Most recently, Norma enjoyed the serenity of home with family and the family dogs the most. Her loving family was always there for her, and will always miss those marathon "Aggravation" board games, accompanied by so much laughter throughout the evening.
Norma is survived by daughter Rose Cayford and partner Ray Twerfull, son Donald Smith and wife Pam, granddaughter Teari Cayford and partner Martin Devlin, grandson Shane Goggins and wife Kristina, great granddaughter Mikayla Goggins and partner Michael Sockbeson, great great granddaughter Seraphine Violet-Rose Sockbeson, and youngest brother Richard "Dickie" Sutherland of Bangor, as well as other extended family.
Services are private.
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