Norma Steele Foster

Celebrating the Life of Norma S. Foster

Norma Orris Steele Foster was born in Ormond Beach, Florida on September 20, 1931 to Reverend John Julius Steele and Marrea Gabrielle Oliver Steele. She was the youngest of three children, with an older brother John George Steele and sister Millie Marrea Steele. Her father helped build Mt. Moriah Primitive Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, so as her father was a Baptist minister; he moved his family there to Charlotte for several years before settling in Pensacola, Florida.

Norma's parents died when she was young and she grew up with her aunt, Mathilda Oliver Hills and her daughter Dorothy “Dot” Hills. She attended Booker T. Washington High School in Pensacola, graduating at the early age of 16. Norma also converted to the Catholic faith her aunt and cousin practiced. 

Norma moved to Boston to pursue a higher education and attended St. Elizabeth Hospital and Nursing School, where she received her Registered Nursing license in 1953.

Moving back to Pensacola, Norma set aside a nursing career upon marrying Charles Lamar Foster, whom she knew in high school. The two were married in November of 1954 at St. Anthony of Padua Church. Charles was a lieutenant in the U.S. Army, when her Aunt Mathilda learned he was to be stationed in Heidelberg, Germany, she told Norma, "You stay here and wait for him!" Norma responded, "No, I'm going to be with my husband." The couple's first two children, Michelle and Theresa were born in Heidelberg.

Following his discharge from the Army, one of his superiors helped Charles get a job at the Los Angeles Board of Education. After the family moved to L.A., the family grew with the births of Charles, Cynthia and Monica.

Norma the housewife and mother became a caregiver when Charles’ heart condition was discovered following a 1969 heart attack.

Norma went back to college and took a refresher course in nursing, while she took care of her five children and her husband, who was able to work occasionally. She worked nights and days at Daniel Freeman Hospital in Inglewood across the street from St. Mary's Academy, where Michelle, Theresa and Cynthia attended high school.

Charles died in 1974 and Norma appreciated the strength of her children, who did their chores; and her neighbors, who helped watch over her brood.

Norma became a supervisor at work, too, overseeing the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Daniel Freeman. She would record her staff lectures for young, upcoming nurses, sharing her passion for cardiac care. Occasionally, she was asked to run the entire hospital facility when administrators were away.

In 1979 Norma decided to move to Inglewood for a short time and then to Reseda. Upon hearing of houses for sale in Simi Valley, she bought a home and moved in 1985 for a fresh start.

She worked at Daniel Freeman until 1986, when she had a stroke and was permanently disabled. Although Norma's motor skills were not impeded, she was frustrated that her memory was not at the same technical nursing standard.

The Special Awareness Computer Center at Simi Valley Hospital helped Norma with her memory, repairing some cognitive ability. Before long, she was running the special awareness group. For several years, she helped young children and adults re-learn their letters and numbers, rebuilding their memories following strokes and brain injuries. Norma's passion for helping people evolved into an instructional aide position with Garden Grove Elementary School in Simi Valley.

She also had a passion for cooking, and the family is left with several notebooks, stuffed with cherished recipes, along with fond memories of Norma's famous greens she made during the holidays, her lovely smile, strong work ethic and clever wit.

Going home to heaven before her were husband, Charles L. Foster; parents John and Marrea Steele; her brother John George Steele and wife Dr. Rebecca (Walker) Steele; her aunt Mathilda (Oliver) Hills, and first cousin Dorothy "Dot" (Hills) Stephens.

Memories live on with Norma's sister Millie (Steele) Benjamin and husband Elmore Benjamin; her children Michelle, Theresa, Charles and wife Lori (VanDyke) Foster, Cynthia and Monica (Foster) Ward; grandchildren Vanessa (Foster) Barnes and husband Bernard Barnes, Cassandra Foster, Sascha Ward and Arianna Ward; and great-grandchildren Kaila, Nakia and Zaria Barnes; nephew John David Steele and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, friends, coworkers and acquaintances who were blessed to know her.