We will celebrate the life of Leslie Penelope Bass Normile with a Requiem Mass starting at 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017. She first met our vicar, Fr. Tom, in 2006 while he was training at Stanford Hospital. Recently, she and her family had been traveling from their home in Hayward to worship here. She was frequently attended our Wednesday healing mass and joined us when Bishop Marc H. Andrus visited this fall.
In lieu of flowers please send donations to St. Cyprian’s Church (you may use the link below) or to the American Cancer Society.
A Requiem Mass will be said at Saint Cyprian’s Episcopal Church, 2097 Turk Blvd (at Lyon), San Francisco 94115 on Sunday, November 12 at 10 a.m. Please RSVP to 510-566-1563 if you plan to attend.
Leslie went to be with God during her sleep the evening of Tuesday, October 3, 2017, at her home in Hayward, California. She is survived by Her husband James Normile, Their son Les Normile of the home. Granddaughter Porsha McLaurian of Eugene Oregon; Daughter, Martyn Watie of Kansas City, Sister Stevyn Bass of California, Brothers James Lindesay of Washington DC, Crayge Lindesay of Kansas City, Ks. and Lloyd Brown of Manassas, Va. as well as her “adopted family”: little sister Cindy Johnson, daughter, Stephanie and son, Raymond Barrientos, and numerous good friends and neighbors.
Leslie was born and grew up in Kansas, City, Kansas. She studied dance and music and was a voracious reader. She was a national merit scholar and valedictorian of her graduating class at Sumner high school. While continuing her education at the University of Missouri Kansas City, where she obtaining a BS in microbiology and a DDS at the university’s Dental School, she worked at numerous jobs including at a restaurant and as a partner during dance tests for dance majors. Unfortunately, due to her severe allergies, she was not able to go into private practice. After graduation, she held a number of positions in research and quality assurance.
Leslie, was always a strong, outgoing, positive and accepting woman even while struggling with numerous medical issues since birth.
After moving to the California for health reasons, She focused on her children and home. In addition, to homeschooling Les and Porsha, she became a certified roller skating coach and judge and helped rebuild San Jose Skates artistic club after a management change. She remained active even while suffering a number of continuing medical issues until she was diagnosed with cancer at Kaiser early in October of 2006.
At Kaiser, he was diagnosed with stage 4, uterine sarcoma cancer and given 4 to 6 weeks to live. She did not give up but went to Stanford hospital where she had surgery on October 31, followed by multiple rounds of radiation and chemotherapy. The doctors then told Leslie she may live for another 2 years. Because of the grace of God, the many prayers of family and friends, the doctors at Stanford and Leslie’s strong faith and will, she lived 11 years from her initial diagnosis.
Her son Les said: “She was my Mom. The greatest person I could ever know. She was my existence. Everything I did in Life. All my awards and trophies. I always wanted her to be so proud. Without her, the world is just glum. She enriched everyone she ever met. Always saw positive in everything. She was Love. She always kept strong in faith. Even scared she would stay strong for me. I cannot express how sad and empty I feel with her gone. I am a piece of her and her me. I can never do or impact the world the ways she did. I wish God could have let her stay a while longer. But she deserves heaven more than anyone I will ever know. I pray that I can have an eternity hugging her in heaven. I Love my Mom so much and will always long for the day when I can be with her again. I love you Mom.”