Obituary of Norma H. Gamble

March 13, 2019

Norma H. Gamble, most recently of New York City, passed away on March 13, 2019. She was 76 years old.
The daughter of Luz S. Santos and Felipe Hernandez, Norma was born in Manila, the Philippines. She was the third of four children and was lovingly nicknamed "Baby." Norma loved to fish with her brothers, Ben and Philip, and was an adoring younger sister of Pilar. Pilar and Norma were the best of friends throughout their lives.
Norma earned a B.S. in Commerce from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. She was a U.S. Naval Court stenographer before immigrating to the United States in 1964. She lived in Rhode Island and Michigan before moving to Buffalo, NY, a city that remained close to her heart. Norma worked for several years as an administrative assistant at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Buffalo, NY. It was here that she first developed a passion for selling jewelry, albeit on the side, and her flair for entrepreneurship came to life.
Before embarking on her jewelry career, though, Norma decided to start the first of her businesses. Bringing together her amazing cooking skills and love of hospitality, she and her cherished mother opened a catering business, specializing in Filipino food. She next opened Filipiniana, a store offering Filipino goods and food. It was here that she met Thomas, her now-deceased husband. Norma loved to celebrate and honor her Filipino heritage and was a founding member of the Filipino-American Association of Western New York, which is still active to this day.
Norma and her family moved to the Hudson Valley in 1979 to be with her dear sister, Pilar, who was battling cancer at the time. It was there that, in 1981, she opened GHS Jewelers in Cornwall, NY and then Highland Falls, NY. "The Store," as her family came to call it, was the centerpiece of her family's life.
People loved to buy from Norma. She was a self-educated and extremely knowledgeable jeweler. She deeply cared about her customers and found joy in finding the perfect piece to celebrate life's milestones and celebrations. The sounds of laughter always surrounded her while she was showing her jewelry. While her older son, Carl Ray, and his family took over the day-to-day operations of the store, Norma continued to sell jewelry until the day she passed away. She was born with "the hustle" and never stopped.
In recent years, she became a devotee of the San Lorenzo Ruiz parish, where she was honored as Hermana Mayor, San Ruiz Fiesta. She also was a Member of the Board and Member of the First Filipino Martyr Saint, Inc.
Norma was a true force of nature. Her petite size and ladylike appearance belied her fierce strength and passion. She was known for her integrity, sharp wit, strong opinions, high energy, unceasing work ethic, resiliency, sense of (Filipino) humor, and zest for life. She loved teasing her loved ones and having an inside joke. And, despite all of her accomplishments as a businesswoman who was ahead of her time, Norma's biggest pride was her family. She cherished being a mother, Lola, Auntie, sister, and wife more than anything. Nothing brought her greater joy than preparing a great meal and singing and dancing with her family.
Norma is survived by her four children: Chrissy and her husband Pete Casciato, Tracey and her husband Jason Dubeshter, Mark Stingle and his wife Tina, and Carl Ray Stingle and his wife Nanci; seven grandchildren: Jessica, David, and Samantha Stingle, Catherine and Juliana Stingle, and Max and Lucy Dubeshter; her dear brother: Philip; and, many beloved nieces, nephews, and in-laws.
Visitation will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 17th, at the Greenwich Village Funeral Home, 199 Bleecker Street, New York, NY. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 18, at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, NY.

While Norma loved flowers, the family suggests donations be made in her name to either the charity of your choice or the Path to Peace Foundation (www.thepathtopeacefoundation.org/)

Arrangements are entrusted to the Greenwich Village Funeral Home. To send condolences or to get directions to the funeral home, please go to https://greenwichvillagefuneralhome.com.




 

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