Norma M. Gumlaw

West Springfield - Norma (Thibodeau) Gumlaw passed away March 16, 2026, surrounded by her family. She was born in Gardner, MA, April 20, 1935, to Ernest Thibodeau and Alda LeBlanc. The family moved to Turners Falls, MA when she was very young. After high school graduation, she went on to earn a Bachelor of Education degree from Westfield State Teachers College in 1957. She put herself through school and was the first in her family to graduate from college. She married Terrence G. Gumlaw July 4, 1959, in Turners Falls. The newlyweds moved to the Springfield area to start a family. Her first teaching position was at Westover School No. 2. In 1964, career choices meant a move to Connecticut. Her young children enjoyed living beside and learning to swim at Andover Lake. After the sudden loss of her husband in 1972, she moved back to West Springfield, inviting her mother-in-law to live with her and her four children on Woodmont Street. Many memories were made on summer trips to Cape Cod, Big Pond at Otis, and Lake Sunapee, NH. Learning to ski with her children became a passion in the winter months. Norma taught elementary reading and writing for many years at Elias Brookings Elementary School. After retirement, she volunteered in the guidance office at West Springfield High School for which she was given a Friend of Education Award in 2006. Always a teacher, she donated many, many children's books to the Parish Cupboard in West Springfield and later to local library book sales. She was also a part-time volunteer at the Salvation Army store in Westfield, MA. For many years, she vacationed a couple of weeks during the winter in Palm Harbor, FL with her childhood friend Judy Baker. She was a long-time member and past-president of The Ramapogue Women's Club. She was very proud of her work on the Scholarship Committee there. Although she learned about her heritage later in life, she was a proud Acadian. Long drives to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia with her son Rob and cousin Janice deepened her interest. She enjoyed reading, going to Fitness First, watching the Boston Red Sox, Bruins, and Patriots, going to outdoor summer concerts, swimming, her flower gardens, her screen porch, and most importantly spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. In many ways, their adventures became her adventures. She was the "favorite mother-in-law" of her son-in-law, Mark. For the past few years, doing word puzzles, playing Bingo and Mexican Train with Jackie, Judy, and Charlotte, and taking daily walks with her son, Rob became her routine. She always looked forward to the monthly dinners at the Dante Club. The family is especially grateful to the Baystate Hospice team for the thoughtful care and compassion during our final moments with Mom. Norma is survived by her sons Jim and his wife Connie, Gary and his wife Donna, Rob and her daughter Laura and her husband Mark, her grandchildren Jenny, Nick, Kyle, Sophie, and Colin and her great-grandchildren Lucas and Evelyn. She is also survived by a brother, Ron Thibodeau, of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. She was predeceased by her sister, Claire Kamm and brother-in-law and his wife, her very close friends, Bill and Lorrie Gumlaw. A celebration of her life will be held at the West Springfield Curran-Jones Funeral Home Saturday, March 21st starting with visiting hours at 11:00am and concluding with a funeral home service at noon. Please visit https://www.curranjones.com/ for more information. Although Mom loved flowers, she asked instead for donations to be made to: The Salvation Army Springfield, 170 Pearl Street, Springfield, MA 01101.