VIRGINIA LOUELLA BEST NORTON
Virginia Louella Best Norton died March 11, 2022 at her home in Houston, TX. She was 97 years old. She was born October 12, 1924 in Oakland, CA, the daughter and only child of Gerald Martin Best and Vera Aileen Tryon Best. She graduated as Salutatorian from Citrus Union High School in AzuzaGlendora, CA, in June 1942.
She attended Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, studying Veterinary Medicine. She joined the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve in 1944, a year after her college fiance’, Roger Darwin Norton, joined the Navy. Stationed at the Marine Base in San Diego, CA, she worked in the Postal Department’s Claims and Inquiry Division. She eloped to Las Vegas, NV, and married Roger on July 1, 1945.
Three daughters were born in New York while her husband completed his education and taught high school science. Under her initiative he interviewed and was hired as an engineer by DuPont and the family moved to New Jersey in 1953 where the birth of two sons completed her family.
After Dupont moved them to Texas, Virginia earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in French, certified in secondary education, from Lamar State College of Technology in Beaumont in 1966. She taught, however, Remedial Reading as the first white crossover teacher in the all black Booker T. Washington Elementary School in Beaumont, TX. She loved all children and all people and wrote her memoir of that first year of teaching entitled Kaleidoscope where her dedication and compassion won the hearts of her students and colleagues. She was a gifted teacher pioneering teaching techniques that are considered standard today and during her tenure at Washington she was named Teacher of the Year. She also taught at Langham Elementary School in Nederland, TX, and St. Anthony’s Cathedral School in Beaumont. After retirement she moved to Houston and worked as a Volunteer Research Assistant at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
She adored her cottage and butterfly gardens in High Island, TX, and volunteered at the bird sanctuaries there for the Houston Audubon Society.
She was a passionate
Master Gardener planting beautiful gardens, especially roses, wherever she lived. She loved reading, writing, and playing the marimba. Creative problem solving was her forte’ and because she had the ability to connect with anyone, she never met a stranger. A beautiful woman who lived a beautiful life.
She is survived by her five children: daughters, Evelyn Aileen Norton (Ted) Badger, Carolyn Louise Norton
(Jack) Shouse, Janet Best Norton (Bruce) Badger; sons, David Roger Norton and Paul Darwin Norton; 18 grandchildren, 48 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents and her husband of 73 years, Roger Darwin Norton.