Del Romb Norwood

December 11, 1939 – October 29, 2023

Del Norwood was born in Chicago to Joseph and Aurelia Romb and raised there along with her elder brothers Eugene and Anselm. She attended several elementary schools and graduated from St. Ferdinand School before attending Good Counsel High School, and later studying chemistry at Wilbur Wright Junior College. Her first job in the food science department at Baxter Laboratories was one she greatly enjoyed and recalled fondly for the rest of her life.

A few years into her first marriage, Del and her family moved back to her childhood home in Jefferson Park, where she lived the rest of her life. Her son Bill and daughter Julie were raised there.

An avid traveler, Del visited areas all around the country, even Alaska. Back in the day, she flew frequently to Washington DC as a courier for a financial printer, depositing securities filings with the SEC. A favorite trip involved "chaperoning" a group of racehorses on their journey to Ireland.

A northwest side native and known "green thumb", Del loved gardening and was instrumental in founding the SRB Community Spirit Garden in 2014 in a vacant city-owned lot at the corner of Central and Edmunds Avenues in Jefferson Park, and obtaining funds for soil testing, fencing and supplies. For her efforts, she was recognized in 2018 by the City of Chicago as a "Senior of the Year" and presented with a Distinguished Service Award. She was delighted to receive the award from the mayor.

A devoted animal lover, Del had many pets over the years. She was a dog mom to Nero and Max, and a cat mom to Katie, Spanky and Howard, as well as several other foster cats from PAWS Chicago.

At the age of 83, Del passed away peacefully in her sleep after spending several months in hospice at her daughter's home in Munster, Indiana. Del was preceded in death by her parents and brothers and former husbands Tom O'Connor and Tom Norwood. She is survived by her son Bill, his wife Mary and their son Lenny; her daughter Julie and son-in-law Brian and their children Jenna (Kenny), Alena (Nate), Simon, Owen and Fifi; great-grandsons Sam and Ben; her sister-in-law Shirley Romb McDonald and brother-in-law Jim O'Connor; and many nieces, nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews.

Lying-in-state, Monday, November 6, 2023, 10:30 a.m. until time of Mass of The Christian Burial, 11:30 a.m., at St. Robert Bellarmine, Chicago. Interment will be held privately. For info, 773-736-2300 .