Norma Mary Oster

Norma "Norm" Mary Oster passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 3, surrounded by her family. Norm was preceded in death by her husband of 43 years, Clete, her sister Mildred, and her brother Harry. She is survived by her beloved children - Bill Oster (Cindy), Susanne Christenson (Dave), and Pete Oster. Norm was the proud grandmother of Julie Philips (Graham), John Oster (Rebecca), Mark Oster (Heather), Sarah Brubaker (Chad), Katie Belsky (Gabe), Ryan King (Bree), Katie Rumford (Peter), Mike Oster (Kelly), and Jeff Oster (Katie). She leaves behind 19 great-grandchildren.

Norm was born to Elizabeth and Harry Zell in Los Angeles. They moved to San Marino, where she spent days rollerskating with the skate key around her neck, playing jacks, and riding bikes in the neighborhood with her brother and sister. After the war, she met her husband Clete at a church dance, and they raised their family in beautiful Palos Verdes Estates. Clete and Norm were fortunate to spend time at their cabin in Big Bear Lake and travel the world. They retired to the special town of Shell Beach, a half block from the ocean. After losing Clete, Norm continued to be active in her neighborhood and church community, where she met George Nelles. They enjoyed five years of marriage. She later moved to Sacramento to be closer to family and became an integral part of their lives.

Wherever she went, Norm made friends, drew people to her, and created a community. Often these groups shared interests (from sewing to travel), and, more often than not, this included a game of cards. If you called her between the hours of 8-11 am, there was a good chance the line was busy - she was chatting away with friends and family from near and far.

During the last 15 years living in Sacramento, she made many dear friends in the neighborhood, in exercise class, and over the bridge table. They took care of each other, whether running across the street to a friend's house for a cocktail or bringing a pot of soup or a bowl of custard to a sick friend. While she missed the ocean, she often said that Sacramento was very good to her.

She lived independently through her final days. Through the pandemic, she played over 1,000 games of Canasta with her daughter and son-in-law, Dave "Sharky." Norm loved her road trips with Susanne to visit Shell Beach to see old friends. She loved her letters from Cindy, advice from Bill, and watching football with Pete in their pajamas. She loved hearing stories about her great-grandchildren and never missed sending a birthday card or the chance to teach them a card game.

Norm's spirit and zest for life were one-of-a-kind; she remained youthful til the end. She was so much fun to be around, gave steady advice, and had the best outlook on life. She had a wonderful laugh and would often laugh until she cried.

For 100 years, Norm, you laughed your way through life. Thank you for letting us be a part of it. We will never forget "to laugh often and much" and be kind to each other. We will miss you so much.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.