Norma Robinson

Norma Marguerite (Ouellette) Robinson, of Caribou, passed away on March 9, 2023, at the age of 85, with her daughters, Fay Ann and Sara Lynn by her side. Norma was born October 26, 1937 in Eagle Lake, Maine to Roderick J and Marguerite (Dube) Ouellette.

Norma grew up in Eagle Lake as the oldest of eight children. Norma was the first great-grandchild of Hilaire and Marie (Langlais) Gagnon to live on the family homestead, ”La Vieille Maison”, which would eventually become “Clover Hill Lodge”. By the 1950s her parents moved to the more “modern” town side of Eagle Lake, which had electricity. Being the oldest daughter of seven siblings she learned the importance of responsibilities and of being a parental figure at a very young age. These lessons would be the cornerstones of her personality for the rest of her life. Although you would never know it at family functions, Norma was very introverted and extremely meticulous. She was often misunderstood because of this, but if she believed she needed to clarify something with you, she would leave no doubt in your mind as to what her opinion was.

Tragedy struck the family when Norma was fourteen years-old. Her Mother died from pregnancy complications. Two of her father’s youngest sisters, Cynthia and Thelma, came to live with the family and help her Father take care of the children while he worked. Tragedy struck again two years later when the family’s house burnt down and the children would have to be separated to stay with other relatives. For the rest of Norma’s life, she would work diligently to make sure the family bonds with her siblings were as strong as if they were never separated. She would also do this with the family she created with her husband, Dana.

Norma’s dream career was to become a nurse. Due to limited resources and career availabilities for her times, she decided to become a teacher like her Mother. She attended Fort Kent State Normal School (now UMFK) and received her teaching certification and met her future husband Fred “Dana” Robinson of Mount Pleasant, Delaware. Norma worked her way through college as a telephone operator. She started working for the town of Limestone, ME at Harrison Elementary Schools on Loring Air Force Base in Limestone; by the early 70s move to the Limestone Elementary School; in the early 80s went back to college and receive a degree in Library Science to finish her career as the school’s librarian. Norma had over forty years working for the Limestone School Department.

Norma and Dana married in June 1960; and made their home in Caribou where they would raise their four children. Starting in the 1970s, Norma and Dana would take the children to a camp they had in Eagle Lake for the summers. The camp would become a gathering place for the local extended family to visit along with the “Cousins from Connecticut” to come up to. This would carry on for the next fifty years. After retiring, Norma and Dana became snowbirds for fourteen years and traveled extensively as well. Sadly, tragedy being what it is, Norma became afflicted with vascular dementia and this would be the slow end to her life’s story.

Norma was a devoted Catholic; devoted to her family; a hard worker; and a lover of life. She taught this lesson to her children through the way she lived her life, they way she learned it.

Norma was predeceased by her Parents; her beloved siblings Roderick J Ouellette Jr, Beatrice (Ouellette) Dubois, Kenneth J Ouellette, and Elizabeth Ann Ouellette.

Norma’s life story will be continued by her children: Fay Ann Keegan, Tracy Marie McCrossin, Fred Andrew Robinson, Sara Lynn Anderson; three grandchildren: Kyle Eugene McCrossin, Alexis Marie McCrossin, and Jazmine Ardena Robinson; two son-in-laws: David McCrossin and Dave Anderson; her beloved siblings George E Ouellette, Gloria (Ouellette) Peek, Edward Ouellette; Rachel (Ouellette) Parent, and Margaret (Ouellette) Rutherford; two aunts Cynthia (Ouellette) Winters and Thelma (Ouellette) Saucier; sixteen nieces and nephews; hundreds of cousins and other family and friends who she shared time with over the years.

Friends are invited to visit with the family on Friday, March 31, 2023 at the Mockler Funeral Home, 24 Reservoir Street, Caribou, from 6PM to 8PM. A Mass of Christian Burial for both Norma and Dana will be held 10AM Saturday, April 1, 2023 at the Parish of the Precious Blood Holy Rosary Catholic Church.

A celebration of the lives of Norma and Dana will be held Friday, July 21, 2023 at the Sly Brook Sno-Riders Club at 110 Sly Brook Road, New Canada from noon until 4pm. A committal ceremony will be held at the Northern Maine Veterans Cemetery in Caribou on the same day, Friday, July 21, 2023 at 9AM.

The family asked, in lieu of flowers, to consider honoring her memory by donating to a charity of your choice and spending time with some family and friends, life never seems to be long enough.