Obituary of Verna Norrad

The passing of Verna Joyce Norrad, wife of Ralph Norrad, occurred Friday, March 08, 2013 at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital. Born August 15, 1932 in Grand Falls, NL, she was the eldest daughter of the late Chesley and Jessie Cornick. Well known for her many academic accomplishments, Verna graduated from Grand Falls Academy in 1949, winning several provincial and university scholarships including the Junior Jubilee prize for first place honours for all of NL. She went on to Dalhousie University where she received her Bachelor of Science. After marrying Ralph, she worked at the Bacteriology Lab at the hospital in Saint John, later going on to become the head of this department at the Victoria Public Hospital, Fredericton NB. Family then became her priority and she was a devoted mother to her two children. She loved to travel and took many vacations to exotic locales. Eventually she and Ralph would spend winters in Florida where they made many wonderful friends, first in Bay Indies and then Panama City Beach. Her favorite spot of all was at her cottage at Robertson’s Point on Grand Lake where she spent her summers for 45 years. In addition to her husband, Verna is survived by her son, Donald (Kate McKillop) of Halifax, NS; daughter, Bev Norrad of Toronto, ON; grandson, Rowan Norrad, the apple of her eye; brothers, William (Doreen) and Barry (Murielle); sisters, Marina (Bob), Judy (Danny) and Cherie (Francis) and their children. There will be no service by request. The family would like to extend special thanks to Dr. Debra Gowan and the nurses at the hospital for their care and compassion. For those who wish, remembrances may be made to the Children’s Wish Foundation. Personal condolences may be offered through www.yorkfh.com