Norma Day
June 28, 1923 — June 19, 2014
Norma Day
Sandy, Utah
Norma Anderson Day, age 90, passed away from natural causes incident to age on June 19, 2014 in Sandy. She was born June 28, 1923 in Monroe, Utah to Joseph and Emma A. Mansor Anderson.
Norma was always very headstrong and fiercely independent. She left home right out of high school with the intent to enlist in the Navy but, being too young to enlist she went to work in the Remmington Arms Plant in Salt Lake City and for Northrup Aircraft in Los Angeles. As soon as she reached the required age she enlisted as a WAVE in the Navy in March, 1944 and left for boot camp at Hunter College in the Bronx. In boot camp she was asked where she would like to be stationed and she answered "California" so they sent her to Washington D.C. She was assigned to Communications where she was assigned to the classified department working on breaking the Japanese codes. While living in a barracks with three floors, 72 women to a floor, no air conditioning and no privacy, she made many great lifelong friends. In 1988, after more than forty years, she was reunited with many of these women for a WAVE’s reunion in Washington D.C.
After leaving the service Norma eventually settled in Salt Lake City where she worked until her retirement for the US Government in the Bureau of Reclamation and raised her son, Mark. After retiring from the Federal Government she dedicated her time to her great passions, WAVES of the Wasatch, where she served for a time as president, and other women’s WWII veterans groups. It was while she was serving these women’s veteran groups that she came to be featured in the KUED documentary series, Utah WWII Stories. However, her greatest joy came from spending time with her grandson, Alex. He was truly the light of her life.
Norma is survived by her son, Mark (Sandy) Day; grandson, Alex; sister, Donna. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings: Steve, Laine, Ardell, Dick, Delean, Raeola and Alfred.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, June 25, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. in the Magleby Mortuary, 50 South 100 West, Richfield, where friends may call from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Burial will be in the Richfield City Cemetery with military rites by the V.F.W. Sevier Post #5050 and Utah Honor Guard. Funeral Directors: Magleby Mortuary, Richfield, Salina and Manti. Online guestbook at www.maglebymortuary.com