Norma Naomi Richardson

Norma was born in Harlem, New York, to Otto and Muriel Payne. She had 2 sisters and 4 brothers.

Growing up in Harlem, 117 street and Lenox Avenue, Norma had the chance to acquaintance Malcolm Little (Malcolm X), Adam Clayton Powell Jr., amongst others activist as they preached on the corner on tall ladders on Lenox avenue.

When Norma was an early teenager, her parents purchased a home and moved the family to Corona Queens, NY.

Norma later married Arthur Richardson. They moved to Brooklyn to Gowanus Houses with their two small children (Victoria and Sheryle) and later had their son Donald and later Darlene. Arthur and Norma faced an unforeseen heartbreak when they lost their only son Donald and then later on their youngest daughter Darlene as children. Later, upon separation and divorce, Norma met her partner Samuel Eugene Knox and had another baby girl (Jeanne).

While raising her 3 children, Norma worked at Rand’s dry cleaners across the street from their home. She was also very active in community gatherings with the children at their community center events, trips to the sports games, museums, skating rinks, school events, and even participated with the neighborhood watch. She loved to play Bingo in her spare time and frequented Broadway shows, movies, and plays with her children. Very often after church, she used to take her children out, as a family, to Junior’s restaurant for Sunday brunch.

Norma kept herself and her family fashionably stylish. She loved to shop for clothing, jewelry, and furniture.

In later years, Norma landed a job as an Office Assistant at Metropolitan Hospital in Manhattan. She became a Shop Steward to assist other co-workers in work mediation between their employers and was very good at it. She also joined the Hospital’s bowling League. Norma loved to travel as well. She saw to it that her children, nieces, nephews and later on her grandchildren enjoyed outdoor activities together. They traveled to the NY state parks for outings as well as the beaches in and around New York.

By the time Norma became a grandmother, she wanted to be called Ma by her grands. She made time to spend with her grandchildren, taking them out to shows, trips, attending their school programs, and also was a positive role model for them.

Norma was the last of her siblings to leave this earth at age 97. Her legacy includes 8 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, and 10 great great grandchildren. She was preceded by 1 husband, 1 partner, 3 children, 3 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. She is succeeded by her daughters Victoria Richardson and Jeanne Windbish, honorary children Debra Simpkins, Eugene Knox, their children, grandchildren and a host of nephews, nieces, friends, union members and other various organizations she was involved in and helped to create.