BANGOR – Norma VanGaasbeck Strout died peacefully from cancer Aug. 10, 2009, surrounded by her family. She was born Oct. 9, 1926, in Chemung, N.Y. After graduating from Waverly High School, Norma attended All Souls Nursing School, Pensacola, Fla. It was there that Norma met her future husband, Warren Strout, M.D., while she was working as a nurse. Warren was a naval flight physician stationed in Pensacola, Fla. They married Aug. 20, 1949, and moved to Maine, Warren’s home state, where he completed his training in anesthesia at Eastern Maine Medical Center. Norma was a devoted mother to their five daughters. She also took great joy in her 13 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, and was very involved in their lives. She would drop all her plans to take a grandchild to the dentist or pick them up from school. Norma was active in many organizations, including the EMMC Hospital Auxiliary and The Shakespeare Club. Norma was an avid reader and patron of Bangor Public Library, where she volunteered for many years. She passed her love of books on to all of her children and grandchildren. Norma was a lifelong learner who took many courses from art and theatre to computers. Norma and Warren enjoyed traveling. Together they made journeys to China, Russia, the Galapagos Islands, Peru, Europe Alaska and Hawaii. Norma was predeceased by her husband of 56 years in 2005; and her parents, Everett and Elizabeth Vangaasbeck of Waverly, N.Y. She is survived by her daughters, Stephanie Graves and her husband, Samuel, of Bangor, Cynthia Strout and her husband, Bill Morse, of Anchorage, Alaska, Sally Carlisle and her husband, Bill Unertl, of Orono, Patricia Hoffman and her husband, Howard, of Frisco, Texas, and Kathryn Wagner and her husband, Peter, of Cape Neddick; her grandchildren, Matthew Woodman and his wife, Allie, Emily Adams and her husband, Paul, Ami Porter, Patrick Graves, Devin Morse, Eleanor Morse, Tyler Carlisle, Sarah Carlisle, Althea Unertl, Sophie Hoffman, Erin Wagner, Molly Wagner and Seth Wagner; her great-grandchildren, Emma Woodman, Jacob Woodman, Hayden Adams and Avery Adams; and her brothers, Everett VanGaasbeck and Richard VanGaasbeck. The family invites friends to share conversation and refreshments 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, at Brookings-Smith Family Center, 163 Center St., Bangor. In lieu of flowers, donations in Norma’s honor may be made to Bangor Public Library, 145 Harlow St., Bangor, ME 04401.
NORMA VANGAASBECK STROUT
