CHRIST, Norma N
Norma Nathelle Bogart Christ Sept 26, 1921-June 6, 2021 Norma died at home only five miles from where she grew up on First Street in Santa Ana, Orange County, California. In the century between, she traveled the world and embraced large and diverse communities of family and friends. She was predeceased by her husband Paul Christ, younger brother Bob Bogart, and several beloved sisters- and brothers-in-law. She is survived by her older sister LaDonna Wadsworth, of Santa Ana, her three children, Linda Moore, Mike Christ, and M’Lou Christ, son-in-law John Moore, daughter-in-law Christa Christ, six grandchildren and their spouses, six great-grandchildren, three sistersin-law, one brother-in-law, and a whole lot of nieces and nephews. As her nephew Terry Wadsworth wrote – capturing the feelings of many in this extended family – “She was an inspiration and an anchor for me throughout my life. Hard to imagine a world without her.”
Norma graduated from Santa Ana High School in 1939. In 1941 she married Paul Christ, who brought with him nine brothers and sisters who became some of her closest friends for the rest of their lives. Their three children were born in Santa Ana. In 1951, the young family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when Paul’s job at Douglas Aircraft transferred him there. During the next fourteen years, she raised her family, participated in community work, notably at the Yale Ave Presbyterian Church and with the Girl Scouts, and took on one of her most cherished roles, motherin-law. In 1965 she and Paul moved back to California – and became grandparents. In 1979 they moved to Denver, Colorado, as caretakers for an estate there, which turned out to be an ideal retirement career for both. They returned to their Tustin, California, home in 1986.
Norma’s greatest passion was travel. Based on the photo albums she began as a child, her first international trip was to Vancouver in 1936. After her first Europe trip in 1967, she continued to delight in tours everywhere from Vietnam to Kansas City. She visited every continent other than Antarctica, including 1970s trips to the Soviet Union, China, and Egypt, a memorable Kenyan safari in the 1980s, and many more. It was on one of these trips that her husband died suddenly of a heart attack in 1994. While she was far from home, in London about to embark on a Norwegian fjords cruise, she was also surrounded by family and friends, including her sister and brother-in-law who were her frequent travel companions. Indeed, travel, family, and friends were and remained intertwined throughout her life.
As a widow, Norma found herself living alone for the first time and discovered she enjoyed the independence of this life stage. She stepped up her travel schedule, appreciated going out with male friends, continued social and community activities, including Meals on Wheels volunteering, bridge, and book sharing, stayed physically active (she had practiced yoga since the 1970s), kept solving crossword puzzles, and welcomed more greatgrandchildren and in-laws. In the last decade, her travels mostly took her on family visits to Santa Rosa, California, and to an Idaho ranch, owned by a family friend, where she celebrated her 90th and 95th birthdays with four generations in attendance.
Thoughtful and curious about the world, soft spoken, strong willed, open minded, and, to the end, sharp and witty, Norma modeled how to be a good citizen, an independent woman, a loving friend, and how to change with the times while remaining true to yourself. Born the year after ratification of the women’s suffrage amendment, she was pleased that in her final election she could vote for Katie Porter to represent the Congressional District she had called home for most of a century. She also took pride in how “international” her family had become, her in-laws eventually including immigrants from Germany, England, Vietnam, Costa Rica, and Korea. In her last social media comment, responding to a discussion about racial violence, she wrote how “very proud” she was that two Asian-born women “call me Grandma.”
To contact Norma’s family, please email ljmoore2002[at]yahoo.com with her name in the subject line.