Norma Lee's Obituary
Norma -LeeIt is with profound sadness that her family announces her sudden passing on June 29, 2012. Norma-Lee was preceded in death by her husband, Donald “Rocky” Kennedy in December 2011. She is survived by 3 brothers, David (Deb) Weatherbee, Dan (Trudy) Weatherbee and DJ (Alice) Weatherbee, 1 sister Joyce (Ken) Hutson, as well as 7 nieces, 1 nephew and several great nieces and great nephews, all of Ontario, Canada. She passed peacefully at home with her loving sister by her side shortly after having been diagnosed with cancer. Originally from Brantford, Ontario, Norma-Lee migrated to California in 1980 and settled in the Sacramento area. Her strong sense of civic pride led her to serve on numerous Rio Linda/Elverta committees and community improvement groups and she worked for the Chamber of Commerce for many years. She was elected Honorary Mayor of Rio Linda/Elverta in 2003 and again in 2010. She was also an active member of the Elder Craftsmen Helping Others as well as the Elkhorn Moose Lodge and American Legion. In addition to her deep love of music, she was devoted to helping animals in distress and personally rescued several dogs and cats. Over the years, she has received many commendations for her service and dedication to the various causes she championed. She was well known for her talents as a musician, singer and songwriter. Since being introduced to the Western Swing Music Society in the early 80’s she has held numerous positions including Festival Hostess, Newsletter Editor, Website Manager, Treasurer and Festival Director. She has been inducted into the Hall of Fame in three Western Swing Society branches and is being inducted into Oklahoma’ s Hall of Fame later this month. In 1999 she and fellow singer/ songwriter Dayna Wills, (niece of Western Swing music’s founder Bob Wills) co-wrote “Sing Faded Love, Dayna Gayle” which earned them Best Song of the Year at the 2000 Will Rogers Institute Academy of Western Artists Awards in Fort Worth, Texas. She is already and will continue to be missed by many. Cremation has taken place.A dedication will be held on Sunday July 22, 2012 at 1:00 pm at Sunset Lawn Chapel of the Chimes, 4701 Marysville Blvd, Sacramento, CA. A celebration of her life will follow immediately at the Elkhorn Moose Lodge, 6003 Rio Linda Blvd, Rio Linda, CA. In lieu of flowers, she requested that donations be made to the Sacramento SPCA(www.spca.org) or Best Friends Animal Society (www.bestfriends.org).
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