Obituary of Norma Cole

Norma Cole, known to her friends and family as Nonnie passed away peacefully on Nov. 23, 2019 at the age of 92. She lived a full and interesting life and resided in Eugene from 1950 until her death. She was born in 1927 in the tiny community of Medicine Lake, Montana to her parents Simon and Antoinette Faaborg, both of Scandinavian descent. Unfortunately her beloved father passed away when she was only ten years old and since it was the height of the Great Depression her mother was forced to go to work to support her little family. Nonnie’s mother was fortunate to have a college degree in Home Economics and soon obtained a job as the Food Services Director at a private boys school in Honolulu. Nonnie spent the next several years on her own, living with relatives, occasionally with her mother and at a succession of boarding schools. It was a lonely existence but she survived and eventually graduated from high school in 1944. She then attended a small women’s college, the University of Hawaii and eventually followed her best friend to Oregon, where she decided to finish her education at Willamette University in Salem. She was a member of the Delta Gamma Sorority where she made many lifelong friends and was very popular. She also met her future husband, Paul Cole and they were married in 1949. Nonnie and Paul then moved to Eugene and built a beautiful home on top of a hill near Hendricks Park where she lived the rest of her life. Two daughters born in the 1950's completed their family. Nonnie and Paul also had two other residences - a home on the McKenzie River where they lived every summer and a beach house in Seal Rock with an incredible view of the rocks and ocean below. Family ski trips to Mt. Bachelor and Snowmass, Colorado and camping and hiking with their two burros in the Oregon Cascades were also favorite pastimes for Nonnie and Paul. The couple traveled extensively and visited many countries in every continent except Australia. Nonnie loved to entertain and was an outstanding hostess, especially at Christmas time. She had many friends and loved a good party and stimulating conversation. She was also an avid art and antique collector and filled her three homes with beautiful furniture, art and objects she found at a myriad of antique shops, galleries and from her travels. She loved nature, the outdoors, the McKenzie River and the Pacific Ocean and doted on her beloved cats, who were her devoted companions throughout her life. She also was an outstanding supporter of her community and loved to attend the Oregon Bach Festival, the Oregon Festival of Music at the Shedd and the Eugene Opera. She served on the boards of the Oregon Bach Festival, Eugene Opera and the Peacehealth Foundation and was a past president of Chapter AM of P.E.O., the Delta Gamma Alumni Association and the Junior Service League. She also was very generous in her support of many local organizations, including the Shedd, Oregon Mozart Players, the McKenzie River Trust, Lane Community College and Greenhill Humane Society. She was preceded in death by her husband Paul, daughter Phoebe and grandson Terry and survived by her daughter Debbie, son-in-law Jeffrey and grandson Dennis as well as cousins in Idaho and Texas. Please join us for a celebration of Nonnie’s life at the Shedd on January 18, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers we hope you will consider making a donation to Greenhill Humane Society in her memory. Arrangements entrusted to Musgrove Family Mortuary. Please access the obituary and you are invited to sign the guestbook at musgroves.com