Hospice Angels Norman Rife
Born and raised In Tillamook, Norman returned to live with his daughter Norma as he neared the end of his life’s adventures.
He had served in the Pacific during WWII as a Navy signalman on the USS Wichita. Retired from a power company career, conversations with him were like a living history book. He enjoyed competitive pistol shooting and ballroom dancing. Norma remembers her dad and mom as being poetry in motion on the dance floor.
Norma shares that her father taught her to fish and didn’t get mad when she caught his ear instead of a fish. He was understanding when her car got stuck in a sink hole while she was driving on the beach and they had to abandon it to the incoming tide even though the two of them worked hard together to dig it out. He was always there for her.
Hospice care allowed Norma and her father to enjoy their last days together with dignity and compassion, at home, surrounded by loved ones and warm memories. Just as her father had always been there for her, Norma and the Hospice nurses, social workers, and aides were able to be there for him.
In a tribute to the hospice care team, Norma wrote: “Thank you for the wonderful, kind, thoughtful care you gave my father, and for all the support you gave to us – his family. You are angels everyone.”
Donations to Hospice help ensure that hospice care remains available to anyone in our community regardless of their ability to pay.