Norma passed away in her sleep on December 26th, 2022, in Scarborough General Hospital, at the age of 94, after a minor fall at her home at Retirement Suites by the Lake, where she had spent the last three years. Her decline in hospital was rapid and unexpected. She was predeceased by her brothers Charlie and Gordon. She is survived by her brother Ron Haskins. She will be missed by her children Mark, Eric (Denise), Lori (Alex), and her grandchildren Richard (Niki), James (Karen), Christine (Tyler), Jacqueline (Graeme), Genevieve (Scott), Benjamin (Ashley) and Philip. She was a proud great-grandmother to Natalie, Samantha, Hailey, Brooke, Isla, Elodie, Ethan, Hudson and Logan.
Norma was born on August 16th, 1928 at home in Toronto and spent her youth very involved with Calvary Baptist Church, where her father was a Deacon. Norma began to work full-time and contribute to her family household from the age of 15 when she began selling cards in a store on Kingston Road. She taught herself to type and went to work at Eaton’s College Street where her father also worked, making chandeliers. Norma then got a position in the payroll department at Colgate Palmolive in 1948 where she met her future husband. She married Verne Bernier at Calvary Baptist Church in 1950 and made a home in Scarborough to raise their children. When her children had grown and left, Norma began volunteering at the Providence Villa helping residents mouth-paint. When her brother Gordon needed help at his workplace to fill a maternity leave, he asked Norma to come work at St. Michael’s Hospital with him in the Accounting Department. She enjoyed work outside the home immensely and took a permanent job in the Main Office at St. Michael’s where she worked for 16 years. Norma spent her retirement going to her painting and quilting groups at various Centers in Scarborough, driving herself until her late 80’s, where she developed numerous lasting friendships over the years. Throughout her life her main focus however was always her family, and nothing brought her greater joy than her grandchildren. To her dismay, her last years that should have been spent enjoying the many new great-grand babies was thwarted by the pandemic restrictions.
Friends and Family may call upon PINE HILLS FUNERAL CENTRE, 625 Birchmount Rd on Saturday, January 7th from 10-11am. Service at 11am. Private Family interment to follow. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Covenant House Toronto.