Norma Flynn
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Norma J. Flynn departed this world on June 23, 2022, to join the angels she so revered during her lifetime. A longtime resident of Durham, CT, she was born 84 years ago in Winsted, CT to Alton and Dorothy Smith, and for 51 years was married to Raymond Flynn, Sr. who predeceased her in 2011. She leaves an abundance of memories that will live on in the hearts of her five children and eight grandchildren: Tracey Flynn (Durham, CT); Ray and Melissa Flynn (Ipswich, MA) and their children Madeleine and Colin; Jim Flynn (Wellesley MA) and his children Sam, Abby and Hannah; David Flynn (Tampa, FL) and his son Brian; and Allyson Flynn (Wethersfield, CT) and her daughters Meghan and Kiera. She is survived by her sister Eileen Sturm (Wheatridge, CO). She is predeceased by her daughter-in-law Kathryn Flynn, brother and sister-in-law Peter and Ethel Lorusso, and brother-in-law Lou Sturm.
Norma graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in New Haven, CT. She attended nursing school at the Foundling Hospital of New York. After completing her training as a pediatric nurse she began her nursing career in the maternity ward at St. Raphael's Hospital in New Haven, where she worked until she started a family. Later, she re-entered the workforce as a certified nursing assistant at Connecticut Valley Hospital for over 20 years before retiring.
Norma was a devout Catholic and a parishioner of Notre Dame Church in Durham for 55 years. She always saw the good in people and her generous and caring ways will be remembered by all those she loved and befriended. Animals were Norma's second love and it was common for stray animals in particular to be welcomed into the Flynn family.
Norma was the anchor on her bowling teams, and for nearly two decades enjoyed the camaraderie she found around the lanes. She and Ray, Sr. enjoyed classical music and the theater and were frequent patrons of the Bushnell Theater, Goodspeed Opera House, Jorgenson Theater, and Schubert Theater. They were also long-time UCONN women's basketball season ticket holders and attended nearly a dozen NCAA Final Four tournaments.
Norma's family will receive relatives and friends at The Wallingford Funeral Home, 809 North Main Street Ext. on Monday, June 27, 2022 from 4 pm until 7 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, June 28 2022, at 10 am at Notre Dame Church in Durham CT. Burial service will immediately follow at Mica Hill Cemetery in Durham. A reception for family and friends will conclude the day. Please feel free to honor Norma in any way you wish. She enjoyed receiving flowers, however, if you wish to make a donation in her memory you can consider St. Jude Children's Research Hospital via www.stjude.org/donate or 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.