Norma Louise (Cimaglio) Thoms

Age 93, a teacher and children's librarian and recent resident at Overlook Green Assisted Living Residence, peacefully, on Friday, January 9, 2015. Norma was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 15, 1921 to Basil, an Italian immigrant, and Augusta Cimaglio, second generation German-American. Norma had two older sisters, Loreen and Maxine, and younger sister, Ollie. Early in her life, the family moved to the Oak Park and River Forest, Illinois area and Norma's life centered around two institutions, Grace Lutheran Church and School, where she went to elementary school, and Concordia Teachers College, where she went to college. These two institutions deeply impacted her life story, her teaching philosophy, her religious conviction, the people she knew, the person she married, the extended family and friends she socialized with throughout her life. Norma graduated from Grace Lutheran School in 1935, went to Steinmeitz High School in Chicago, and then graduated from Concordia Teachers College in 1943. As a woman college graduate during the war, she was in high demand for teaching positions and was immediately recognized as a naturally gifted teacher. She accepted her first teaching position to St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Training School, part of Concordia College, Seward, Nebraska. She taught first, second and third grades , worked as assistant to the director of teacher training, and as a critic teacher. While in Seward, she met Marie Henricksen and they became life-long friends. Both dreamed of starting a school and so when an opportunity to do so opened up in West Chicago, Illinois, they took on the new venture. In the fall of 1944 and for two years, they team taught at the new Trinity Evangelical Lutheran School, which still exists today. In 1946 Norma accepted a teaching position at her home elementary school, Grace Lutheran School in River Forest, Illinois, so that she could be near her parents. It was after this school year, on June 14, 1947, that Norma married William A. Thoms, who had also grown up at Grace Lutheran Church and School. They eventually had four children, Hollis, Jennifer, Jonquil and Melodie, and were married almost 54 years. William worked at US Steel in downtown Chicago and was also a well known professional singer. Norma temporarily suspended her teaching career to become a mother to four children, though she was a teacher to them. After Melodie started to go to elementary school, Norma returned to Lutheran school teaching in the Chicago area. - In 1970 William was transferred to US Steel Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After moving there, Norma embarked on a second professional career, that of children's librarian at the B. F. Jones Memorial Library in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania combining her love of teaching young children with her love of children's books. For 30 years, from 1970-2000, Norma created an extraordinary individual reading program and introduced the highly successful Battle of the Books to children and their parents. In 1979 the Beaver County Times, in a feature article about her library program, wrote that "Mrs. Thoms has been at the library since 1970 and has, over the years, developed a program for introducing children to literature that has drawn the praise of parents, educators, and other librarians." In 1977, after 42 years of service, William retired from US Steel, and spent many hours assisting Norma in the crafts and art work for her children's library program at the B. F. Jones Memorial Library. Both Norma and William also were deeply involved in many aspects of music and education at Mt. Lebanon Lutheran Church. In May 2001, William died and Norma eventually sold her home, moved into an apartment, and finally became a resident at Overlook Green Assisted Living. Her influence as a great teacher and librarian has affected her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, many who have become teachers and librarians, as well as many children, parents, students and adults wherever she has had the opportunity to touch their lives by her teaching. Norma was an innovative, passionate teacher and an imaginative, dedicated children's librarian. She is survived by her four children, Hollis Thoms, Jennifer Meyer, Jonquil Thoms and Melodie Frankovitch, seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Friends will be welcomed at Laughlin Memorial Chapel, 222 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon (Pittsburgh) Monday 2:00-4:00 and 6:00"8:00PM. A funeral service will be celebrated in Mt. Lebanon United Lutheran Church, Tuesday morning at 11 o'clock. If desired, memorials may be made to: Mt. Lebanon United Lutheran Church " Fine Arts or New Library Fund at 975 Washington Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15228; Grace Lutheran Church at 7300 Division Street, River Forest, IL 60305; or B. F. Jones Memorial Library " Outreach and Children Services at 663 Franklin Avenue, Aliquippa, PA 15001.
www.laughlinfuneralhome.com

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