Nora Maude Gordon - Mama

We are celebrating the life of my mother here today.
There was nothing more important to Mama than her family. Family always came first. Family meant everything to her, even when she got sick. In her life, Mama went above and beyond for her family, more than most people would. She will be remembered for always having an open and generous heart. Mama had no enemies and she never held any grudges. It was also your continued support, well wishes, and prayers that were so valuable to her in her final weeks.

Nora Maud Cooper was born to Stanford and Amy Cooper on March 14, 1928, in Chester Castle, Hanover, Jamaica, West Indies. She was the third youngest of seven children. Sadly, only four siblings remain- Selvyn – Florida; Cynthia (May) – England; Norma (Tiney) – Atlanta; and Monica (Tip) - Jamaica.

We have received expressions of condolence from the many people Mama touched over the years. Their and your words match those that echo in my head with examples of her tireless and determined support of her friends and family throughout her life. The words that come to mind include: independence, courage, generosity, empathetic, integrity, dignity, selflessness, God-fearing, and indeed the word “life” itself – for few people I have ever known, lived life as fully or as well as Mama did.

I could talk for hours and provide numerous examples demonstrating her remarkable independence, including, of course, her desire to live at home until the end. Her decision to come to America, to restart her life in her forties and bring all her children and grandchildren here to Boston; as a single mother of six highmaintenance children. Is further evidence not only of her selflessness and determination, but also of her courage and willingness to tackle any challenge.

Her generosity with her time, her energy, and advice, provided invaluable support to a remarkable number of people. Over the years, and the past few days, I’ve heard many stories of friends, relatives, neighbors, and even strangers to whom Mama provided help and support in their times of need. One example, one day on her way home from work while waiting for the bus, Mama Nora saw a homeless lady, she talked with her and then gave her all the money she had (including her bus fare) and walked home that day. Such acts of spontaneous generosity were typical of Mama Nora from the stories I have heard.

Among the other words that describe her character, her uncompromising integrity and honesty have proven to be among the most important guides for me in my professional and personal life. Whenever I face a situation in which I am unsure about which direction to take, I have always had a tool to guide me in the form of a simple question: – “Would I be willing to tell Mama what I have done if I choose this path?”. Life forces us all into positions of compromise and presents challenges to our honesty and our integrity, and I observed Mama rise and meet those challenges one after the other throughout her life with courage and toughness and a sense of right and wrong which was awe-inspiring. It was her values and her commitment to family and people that kept her involved in community service in all respects until Parkinson’s Disease stopped her.

Her sense of dignity was never so tested nor so well demonstrated in the final years and months of her life. Even with being stiffened and immobile she refused to beg anyone for anything but would sit for hours and repeatedly say the Lord’s Prayer. I struggle to imagine myself being able to meet death with even 1/10th the dignity that I observed in Mama over the past weeks and which swelled me with pride each minute that I spent with her.

Finally, and perhaps the key to her happiness, was her independent approach to life. She was always in pursuit of another experience, a new adventure. Up until her last weeks, she was always able to crack a joke and even more able to laugh at herself in ways that had us laughing when we were around her.

We are grateful to all of those who provided support throughout her life and in her final years but I would like to especially thank Mary McKinley who came every week to give her communion when she could no longer go to church. To Father Joe who made home visits and called to pray with her at times.

My mother pursued a lifelong effort to build family connections and maintain our genealogical roots. She came to know so many people and has given us all an extraordinary collection of family knowledge, advice, and wisdom. Mama Nora had a character of the highest caliber who represented sensitivity and consideration towards all people, near and far, as well as extraordinary generosity and an unparalleled level of family involvement and dedication.

As a parent and friend, my mother had an extraordinary ability to make each of us feel stronger and more confident in our own identity. Giving us our own sense of independence and mental toughness which, speaking for myself, has been such an asset in so many ways in my life. She will live in our memories and our hearts forever and I will always be extremely proud to call myself the daughter of Nora Maud Gordon.

The Family of Nora Gordon encourages anyone who wishes, to make a donation to The Parkinson’s Foundation on Nora’s behalf.

The Parkinson’s Foundation makes life better for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything we do, we build on the energy, experience, and passion of our global Parkinson’s community.

https://www.parkinson.org/