Norma Elinor Reeve, 91, of Boulder, Colorado, passed away peacefully on September 19, 2024. She is survived by her husband Gerome (Gerry) R. Reeve and her two daughters Laura E. Reeve and Wendy H. Reeve. Norma was born in 1933, an only child, to Flora and Toivo Oksa.
Upon graduating high school, Norma was awarded a college scholarship to Colby College, NH. She earned a B.S. in medical laboratory technology.
After college, she moved to Baltimore and got a job at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
During this time, she met Gerry Reeve. They were married on August 20, 1958, and made a honeymoon of visiting National Parks on the way to Pasadena, where Gerry would pursue graduate studies. On their trip, they passed through Boulder, CO and admired the town and mountains.
They lived in Pasadena for a year, where Laura was born, and later in Monrovia. By the summer of 1964, fed up with traffic and smog, they decided to move to Boulder where Gerry had been offered a position in the National Bureau of Standards.
Wendy was born soon after they settled into their new house. Norma stayed home to raise the girls but in 1972, anxious to return to her profession, she took a position as a registered Medical Technologist at the Boulder Medical Center.
By 1985, both her daughters had graduated from college and left home, so Norma could fulfill her wishes to travel far and wide. When possible, she accompanied Gerry on business trips, and they took cruises and exploration trips whenever they could get time off. In 2000, the Boulder Medical Center closed their on-site laboratory, and she retired.
Norma continued to travel and stay busy.
She loved music and sang in the St. Andrew's choir for a total of fifty-two years. She also participated in the bell choir. She volunteered at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, as well as being a strong sponsor of the museum.
Norma's celebration of life service will be held on Sunday, November 3, 2024, beginning at 1:00 pm at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, 3700 Baseline Road, Boulder, CO 80303. A reception in the church fellowship hall will follow.