Jean L. (Gillis) Norman

ASHBURNHAM – Jean L. (Gillis) Norman passed away on Jan 1, 2026 at UMass Memorial Hospital in Worcester, MA after a sudden illness. Jean was born in Fitchburg, MA to Donald and Louise (Rodier) Gillis of Leominster, MA on August 27th 1944, her mother’s birthday.

She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Paul Norman, their children Paula Kalajian and Paul Norman, Jr of Princeton, MA and Michael Norman and his wife, Robin, of North Berwick, ME, and siblings Donald Gillis of Ashburnham, MA and Donna Surrette (partner Scott Kinsman) of Leominster, MA. She was blessed with 5 grandchildren, Christopher and Samantha Norman, Lydia Sigler, Emma Kalajian, and Henry Norman, as well as 5 great grandchildren, Theodore, Maddox, Brantley, Jack, and Jo.

Jean was a 1962 graduate of St. Bernards High School in Fitchburg, MA. Early on, she worked as a broker in her and Paul’s Real Estate business, always gifting each new homeowner with a beautiful oil painting that she had chosen just for them, a sign of her truly gracious spirit. Always passionate about helping others, she worked as a customer service rep at IC Credit Union for many years, prior to joining the orthopedic practice of Dr. Anders Rhodin as a medical secretary. She retired in 2005.

Jean met the love of her life and future husband, Paul, at 16 years old at Stodge Meadow Pond in Ashburnham where both of their families had rustic summer cottages. They married two years later and remained inseparable. Early in their relationship she spent countless hours with Paul as he worked on and drag raced his custom 1932 Ford Cabriolet every other weekend in Sanford, Maine. Together, on a shoestring budget and with a lot of hard work and determination, they turned Paul’s family’s summer cottage into their cozy year-round home, doing most of the work themselves, guided by family and friends. In 1976, they moved from the lake, building another home on 18 acres with their own hands from the ground up. Here, over the years, they created a small farm homestead, complete with a large garden and blueberry bushes, as well as a few beef cows, horses, and many cats and dogs over the years. They mowed and baled their own hay and cut their own wood on the farm to warm their home each winter. Jean made countless quarts of homemade tomato sauce each fall, and batches of blueberry cake each summer. She was a gifted hand quilter and crocheter and made beautiful quilts and afghans for those she loved over the years. She enjoyed raising her family and being with Paul on the farm, living there until her passing. For many years, Jean was also a co-pilot for Paul in their private plane as they flew on many adventures together.

Jean had a lifelong, deep-seated Roman Catholic faith, rich prayer life, and intense love for God. She had a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother. When she said she would pray for you, she truly meant it and did it with zeal every day. She had an immense love for her family and friends, extraordinary compassion for others, and was relentlessly gracious, generous, and kind to others.

In lieu of flowers, her family requests that others carry on her legacy of extending kindness to others. Donations in her honor may be made to Make-A-Wish, https://www.wish.org, a charity that gifted one of her young granddaughters a wish during her cancer battle.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit with Jean’s family from 9:00 am to 10:30 am on Thursday, January 8th, at the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main St., Holden. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 11:00 am at Prince of Peace Parish, 1 Worcester Rd., Princeton. Burial will follow at St. Bernards Cemetery, 96 Goodrich St., Fitchburg.

To share a memory or offer condolences, please visit her guestbook.