Norma Truman
SCARBOROUGH – Norma (Smaha) Truman passed away peacefully with family by her side Aug. 18, 2024.
Norma was born on Oct. 24, 1932 in Lawrence, Mass., daughter of Nellie Kelley and Herbert K. Smaha. She grew up in Portland and attended Portland schools, graduating from Deering High School in 1950. While at Deering, she played varsity basketball and competed in swimming and diving. She was vice-president of her senior class and was voted Miss Deering in 1950.
Graduating from the U. of Maine with a B.S. in business, she was appointed to the All-Maine Basketball Team for 1950-51, was Sophomore Eagle, a select group of women student organization, and was active in sorority and Panhellenic affairs, graduating as president of Chi Omega Sorority.
After college, Norma flew as a flight attendant for three years with Eastern Airline, then worked with her family in the Columbia Market Grocery chain and on to Boston with N.E Telephone and then went on loan to A.T.&T. implementing a program called “Data on the Move”.
In 1969 Norma married her beloved Ted Truman from Biddeford. While living there, she was a founding member of Altrusa of Biddeford International and a founding member of the Northern York County Y.M.C.A., serving on its many boards. While living in Florida, she served as secretary of the Croquet Foundation of American and Croquet Enterprises Inc. In 2002 she was nominated and elected to the Croquet Hall of Fame.
Alongside her husband, she owned and worked at the Cascade Inn and Restaurant for 13 years where she and Ted mentored many young people. She was a golfing member of the Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club and a past member of the Abenaki Club at Biddeford Pool. She was active in the community with Hospice of Southern Maine and the Y.M.C.A.
Norma loved gardening, reading, needlepoint, tennis, golf, and of course, croquet.
She loved her many nieces and nephews and her close companion and service dog, Alvin.
She is survived by her sister and best friend, Emily Delmonaco.
Visitation will be held at Hope Memorial Chapel on Tuesday Aug. 27 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Mass will be held at St. Maximillian Kolbe on Tuesday Aug. 27 at 11 a.m. with a burial to follow at St. Demetrios Hellenic Orthodox Cemetery in Biddeford.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your wish.
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