Norma Dupont Martin, 86, of Manchester, Connecticut died on February 14, 2025 at Saint Francis Hospital, following complications from sepsis.

Born on November 6, 1938 in Willimantic, CT, Norma was the fifth of 13 children of George and Irene Dupont. She grew up in Manchester and attended Manchester High School where she met and later married her first husband, Albert Rene Martin in 1957. They had three children, Albert, Vicki, and Douglas. Following her late husband’s death to cancer in 1987, she subsequently found long-term companionship with Charles Stetson, until his death in 2015.

As a teenager in the ‘50s, Norma briefly waitressed at the famous Shady Glen Restaurant in Manchester (a detail that her grandchildren enjoy recalling each time they dine-in for a fried cheeseburger). She married at 18, became a mother at 20, and a grandmother at 42. For half her life, Norma was collectively and affectionately known as “Gramma”. She had an indelible laugh and a playful, slightly mischievous sense of humor to match.

As a mother, grandmother, and matriarch, she had limitless generosity. Her frequent visits seldom went empty-handed; she was always bringing something for someone, be it groceries, a gift just because, an article of clothing culled from her own wardrobe, or a home cooked meal. If she saw a need or a way to be useful, she was there, ready to give whatever she could.

She showed her love through food; cooking countless holiday dinners, delicious homemade soups, annual Christmas coffee cakes, and a variety of treats throughout the year. She hosted family holidays at her home in an unbroken tradition spanning four decades, enabling a sense of stability and security that was the foundation of the family identity. Even the local bird population reaped the rewards of Norma’s ongoing generosity, as she dutifully saved all her food scraps to offer to the insatiable crows behind her home.

For much of her life, Norma was an avid golfer and member of The Manchester Country Club. She was sociable and loved dogs; and her family credits both her active lifestyle and canine companionship for her overall good health and mental acuity through her later years. She lived an independent life until the last, and at 86 was still hustling and bustling at an impressive rate. She was lively and resilient, with an unrivaled abundance of energy.

Norma was also crafty and capable, with a creative side that came out in many ways over her lifetime. She enjoyed leisurely activities like crocheting, and gifted a plethora of handmade afghan blankets to her family members over the years. She also entertained herself by coloring with colored pencils as a rewarding way to relax and pass the time in her later years. Although she herself did not have the opportunity to pursue her artistic interests as a young person, she purposefully enabled that in her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, making room for their individuality and supporting their respective interests with a keen thoughtfulness that will be greatly missed.

She is survived by her children, Albert F. Martin, Vicki and her husband Kelly McSweeney; her grandchildren Amber and Jonathan Mayhew, Courtney and Adam Peck, Brittany Martin, Ryan McSweeney and Alyssa McCallion, Kaitlyn and Nirson Rivera; her great-grandchildren, Nora and Ellery Mayhew; her sisters, Georgetta, Lynn, and Denise; as well as many nieces, nephews, close friends and extended family.

Norma was predeceased by her husband Albert R. Martin; her companion Charles Stetson; her son, Douglas; her daughter-in-law, Colleen; and her siblings, Phyllis, Gloria, Rudolph, Claire, Joyce, Ronald, Gilbert, Beverly, and Kenneth; as well as her beloved dogs, Blackie, Jason, Marty, Harry and Sally.

In the words of her grandson-in-law,

“[We’ll] miss her laugh. She had spark, pep, and a twinkle in her eye. She was generous to all, even the crows.”

Services will be held at Tierney Funeral Home in Manchester, CT on a date yet to be determined.