Norma Thelma Stauffer

Norma lived the kind of life that cannot be measured alone by her near ninety-six years on earth, though she did fill many of them with laughter, adventure, stubbornness, beauty, mischief, and stories that somehow grew larger every time they were told.

Born and raised alongside her sister and two brothers against the scenic backdrop of Salt Lake City, Norma’s connection to the outdoors blossomed at an early age and stayed with her throughout her life. If there was a campground to explore, a rosebush that required trimming, or an interesting rock or piece of wood waiting to be discovered, chances are you would find a grinning, twinkly-eyed Norma right in the middle of it.

She and her first husband, Dale William Santage, planted this same love of the outdoors in their own family. They would take their children, Sherrie, Terry, Dianne, and Susan, for weekend camping trips to American Fork Canyon, Camp Utaba, or somewhere in the woods of the Uinta Mountain Range. Norma would later recall these memories as the happiest times in her life.

For someone so deeply rooted in the outdoor world, her professional life offered a delightful surprise to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren who learned she had thrived as an Executive Assistant for the Utah Department of Health. An administrative virtuoso, she was particularly renowned for her skill in shorthand. She frequently gifted these organizational talents to the community she loved, serving her church as a Relief Society secretary, supporting her fellow outdoor enthusiasts as secretary for the Good Sam Camping Club, working with Salt Lake County as Head Electoral Judge, and guiding the next generation of young women as a Girl Scout Troop Leader.

Norma lived her life as a collector of many things, but her most cherished collection was always people. Her rarest acquisition was the circle of friends she met in elementary school that remained as close as sisters for over eight decades. The article written about them, “Decades-old 'friendship club' keeps women young,” was her crown jewel—living proof of an extraordinary and beautiful bond. Her home was a reflection of her collector’s spirit, overflowing with plants, handcrafted ceramics, photographs marking the passage of decades, and tiny treasures from her adventures near and far. In Norma's eyes, no object was ever just a rock, a piece of driftwood, or a trinket; each piece was a memory, a story, or a reminder of a person she held dear.

Norma was known by many names- Mom, sister, Grandma, Grammy, Grandma-Great- and she will be loved and missed by all who knew her. Fly away home, Bluebird!

A graveside service for family members will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, followed by a luncheon at the First Baptist Church.