Norma Harvey Raymond

East Montpelier, VT

July 15, 1923 – February 11, 2025

Norma Harvey Raymond, a beloved member of the Vermont community, passed away peacefully on February 11, 2025. Born

on July 15, 1923, at Mary Fletcher Hospital in Burlington, Vermont, Norma was the cherished daughter of Ralph and Marjorie Harvey of Essex Junction, Vermont.

At the tender age of 5, the Harvey family relocated to Richmond, Vermont, and later to Putnamville, Vermont, where she attended a one-room schoolhouse starting in second grade. She graduated from Montpelier High School in 1941, marking

the beginning of a life dedicated to public service and community involvement. She moved to Towne Hill Road in East Montpelier in 1948 and raised two sons with her husband, George "Louis" Raymond.

Norma served the federal government in the Selective Service system, traveling across all 14 counties in Vermont and then with the Small Business Administration. She also displayed her dedication to public service by serving as a Delinquent Tax Collector for the Town of East Montpelier. She served in that position for over 25 years exercising kindness and compassion in

this role. Norma said she "tried to work with people individually. Anything was all right…even ten dollars a week was fine so long as they were trying. People thanked me afterwards." Over the years, her service to the town also included serving on the school board, and the East Montpelier Bicentennial Committee, and she provided ongoing volunteer work at the elementary school. In 2016, she was honored to be part of the Governor's Commission on Successful Aging. She was even voted "Citizen of the Year" for East Montpelier!

Norma was a dedicated member of the Unitarian Church of Montpelier (formerly Church of the Messiah) for 83 years, starting at the age of 18. She held numerous positions and participated in many committees within the church, finding particular joy in the Women's Alliance group and famously guarding her "ham loaf" recipe for church fundraisers, especially the Annual Holiday

Fair.

Norma always looked forward to visiting her Aunt Mildred, whom she considered more like a sister, and delighted in attending neighborhood potlucks and family reunions, where fellow attendees could count on learning from Norma something of the history of Vermont and what it truly meant to be a Vermonter. Borrowing the words of Vermont songsmith, Jon Gailmor, like

Vermont itself, "She's the long-ago lady of pride and compassion...She's the maid of an era the country's forgotten."

Norma generously donated her body to the University of Vermont College of Medicine's Anatomical Gift Program, reflecting her lifelong commitment to education and service.

Preceded in death by her sister Marion Harvey Cummings of Denver, CO; sister Eunice Ardelle Harvey of Denver, CO; sister Nancy Harvey Ware of Concord, NH; brother Raymond Keith Harvey of Hinesburg, VT; husband George Lewis Raymond of East Montpelier, VT; and son Bradley Harvey Raymond of East Montpelier, VT.

Norma is survived by her brother James Fredrick Harvey of Fort Wayne, IN, and his wife Marjorie; son Gregory James Raymond of Ephrata, PA, and his wife Jean Robertson Raymond; grandson Todd Michael Raymond of Hartland, VT; granddaughter Mollie Jo Raymond of Ft Lauderdale, FL; granddaughter Brooke Raymond Simmons of Ephrata, PA; grandson Ben Adam Raymond of Burbank, CA, and his wife Lesli; nine great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; and many loving admirers in her community, her church, and in and around Central Vermont.

All who knew her will cherish and remember her legacy of service, love, and community engagement.

A Celebration of Life will be held on June 14, 2025, at 2:00 PM at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier, 130 Main Street, Montpelier.

Memorial contributions can be made to either:  Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, 600 Granger Road, Barre, Vermont, 05641-5369, or The Unitarian Church of Montpelier,130 Main Street, Montpelier, Vermont 05602.