Norma Colleen (Whittleman) Wasmuth

Norma Colleen (Whittleman) Wasmuth passed away July 5, 2023, at Ithaca Hospicare.  She was 95 years old, born June 20, 1928 in Alton, Illinois.  Her early years were busy with dance, gymnastics, orchestra, marching band, avid reading and volunteering at local hospitals. In June 1951, she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri and became a member of the teaching staff at Barnes Hospital in the School of Psychiatry.  On November 17, 1951, she married her “sweetie” and “soldier boy” William J. Wasmuth, a marriage and partnership that spanned over 66 years until William’s passing in March 2018.

Norma’s nursing skill expanded to Public Health in the 1970s.  She taught classes in Public Health at Ithaca College, and at age 48, earned a Master’s Degree in Public Health (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) in order to further her knowledge and expand her teaching credentials.

A member of the American Gerontological Society, she was a tireless advocate for public health within her community, asking hard questions about improving services for the elderly population.  While serving on the Board of the Reconstruction Home, she sought better conditions for both residents and the nursing staff.  With the Tompkins County Office for the Aging, she contributed to the formation of the Gadabout transportation service.

When her husband William co-founded the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Strategic Simulation program (CHARMSS) in 1980, she became a partner in running and computer-scoring the management training in over 15 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.   Upon retirement, she and William continued to travel extensively, enjoying European river cruises, trips to their German and Czechoslovakian origins, and to Alaska and the Baltic states.

Always reading a book and one of many magazines, including National Geographic and Smithsonian, Norma was curious and open-minded, a gifted conversationalist and a thoughtful listener.  Her letters to family and friends often included a clipped article of interest.

Norma saw the value of experiences for her three children and five grandchildren.  They all benefited from outings to parks, Sapsucker Woods, summer camps, trips to the library and to museums, plus customized art/science/nature activities to spark new interests. When her children got older, she established a tradition of candlelit “Sunday dinners” for a chance to slow down and reconnect before the upcoming week.

When the grandchildren arrived, she was the energy behind planning multiple festive family gatherings, which included a “dress up trunk” loaded with new and vintage items for the granddaughters to create a fashion show. For her 50th wedding anniversary in 2001, she suggested a family Caribbean cruise, which gave the entire family time to enjoy each other.

She did not want her children and grandchildren saddled with debt after attending college.  She and William supplied any needed funds to make that possible.  And when family members became sick, she shared her nursing expertise and went to them during times of medical crisis, staying until they were nursed back to health.

Her curiosity led her in many directions:  she taught WWII cadets how to ball room dance; took sewing classes to make her own suit; reupholstered William’s beloved Barcalounger chair; and transformed her living room windows into artistic Christmas scenes by using poster paint on the glass.   She envisioned and redesigned spaces, one of her most impressive being the conversion of her garage into a light-filled sun room with floor-to-ceiling windows, to combat the long Ithaca winters and to provide more light into the home year round.  This became the go-to room for herself and William, especially in their later years, as well as additional space for family gatherings.

She shared her love with us in more ways than we can express here.  She will be greatly missed for her wisdom, her candor, her love and her compassion.

Norma was predeceased by her husband William.  She is survived by her children Craig, Scott and Toni; daughter-in-law Victorina, son-in-law Everett; grandchildren: Elizabeth, Christine, Abigail, Sara and Jennifer.

Family will receive friends on Monday, July 31, 2023 from 10:00am to 11:00am at Bangs Funeral Home, 209 W. Green Street, Ithaca, NY. A memorial service will be held at 11:00am at the funeral home. Burial will follow at NY State Veterans Cemetery - Finger Lakes, 6632 State Route 96A, Romulus, NY at 1:00pm.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Bangs Funeral Home, Ithaca, NY. Online condolences may be made to Norma’s family at www.bangsfuneralhome.com.