Life of loves and romance ends
Norma Milford, the Snells Beach woman at the centre of a rekindled world war two romance with a former United States marine four years ago has died.
Norma Healy was just 19 when she and Richard Tracy met and fell in love while he was stationed at a camp in Paekakariki in 1942.
Richard had been with the 1st Marine Corps Division, the first US servicemen to arrive in the country at Wellington in June that year.
They never got their big farewell with Norma rushed to hospital with meningitis and Richard was shipped out to Australia before he could see her, the red roses he sent her delivered to the wrong address.
Norma recovered but after seeing many friends die during fighting and worried he was going to be seriously hurt or lost in action, Richard broke off their engagement soon after.
After suffering a broken leg during a beach landing on Peleliu (Palau) when a fellow marine landed on him, Richard was out of the war.
Norma found love again with Maurice Milford, a New Zealand army man she and Tracy had double dated with several times.
They married and raised a family together with Norma going on to become New Zealand’s first post master.
Richard also married and raised a family in Ohio. The families had loose ties at times but contact eventually ceased.
By 2011 Norma and Richard were both alone again after their spouses had died.
A family friend of Richard’s decided to try and find the ‘‘pretty little girl’’ from New Zealand in his war time photos again. They were soon back in touch and romance blossomed again.
Richard, then 93, came to New Zealand to propose.
Their story melted hearts in both New Zealand and in Ohio Richard’s home state when it surfaced four years ago and saw them the centre of media attention.
Norma Isabelle Milford 93 (nee Healy) 25 June 1923 – 24 July 2016.
Loved mother to Marc and Lee, Donna and Andrew, Robynanne and the late John. Grandmother to Zanny, Oliver, Amy, Sebastian, George, Freddie, Briar and Ciaran. Great grandma to Julia.
A funeral will be held at Holy Name Catholic Church, 6 Alnwick St, Warkworth on Saturday 30 July at 11am.
All communications to The Natural Funeral Company. Ph. 09 361 6080