Marie Anne Lucille "Mary Anne" Norton, 90, of Matthews, NC, passed away peacefully on May 21, 2025 at her home at Windsor Run.

Mary Anne was born in Norwich, CT, in 1935 to Henri and Dora Richard and grew up in New England as the oldest of six children. She spoke mostly French until she was school-aged because her parents were French Canadian and French is what was spoken at home. Her family moved to Elmira, NY, her senior year of high school and she graduated from Elmira Free Academy in 1952 and then remained in Elmira until 1979 surrounded by friends, family, and the extended family she acquired after marrying Joe Norton in 1958.

Mary Anne loved meeting new people and learning about their life stories and was almost never too tired to socialize. She and her three sisters brought their own party to any event with their laughter, chatter, and the occasional dive into creme de menthe liqueur. It wasn't a wedding without them dancing to "We Are Family" and "New York, New York."

Her extroverted nature, energy, and amazing social skills came in handy as her home grew into a house full of people that included her six sons, their friends, and nieces and nephews. Her boys all played sports and generated enormous quantities of sporting equipment, dirty clothes, and trophies. They also had enormous appetites. Mary Anne could easily have moonlighted as a firehouse cook since cooking for her crew was an undertaking on that scale. Thanksgiving dinners generally involved 10 pounds of mashed potatoes - made from scratch and peeled by whoever was unlucky enough to be in the kitchen when potato prep started. The dinner table could be so crowded at holidays that Mary Anne honed her pitching skills making sure people at the end of the table got their dinner rolls. Her lasagna was legendary and the lasagna pan was almost big enough to double as a baby bathtub. As she started acquiring daughters-in-law she'd whip up excellent apricot brandy sours for them to help take the edge off when the large--and very male--family became a bit overwhelming for newcomers.

When most of their children were teenagers, Mary Anne and Joe moved first to Burlington, NC, then to Wingate and Monroe, NC. They were faithful members of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Monroe, often taking others to church with them. They also built a huge circle of friends from the Newcomers' Club, which they participated in for decades past the time when they could be considered newcomers.

In addition to raising her children and keeping them clothed and fed, Mary Anne also worked in medical offices throughout her life. She retired as a medical transcriptionist from Ormand Center for Women in Monroe.

Mary Anne did not slow down after retirement. She and Joe traveled, including exploring Ireland and going to Hawaii for a nephew's wedding. She continued to visit with friends, play cards, shop for bargains, and was a bowler for many years. She was an avid reader and would often skip sleep just to fit in reading one of the many books she usually had in progress. She had attended virtually all of her children's sporting events when they were young and as she gained grandchildren she attended as many of their events as possible. She didn't just show up; she was an active participant who cheered for the kids at sporting events, danced at the weddings, and brought food whenever it was called for.

Mary Anne was also an avid gardener and was always starting new plants. On a visit to Disney World she was most impressed by the gardens scattered around the park, and she then proceeded to deadhead the plants that needed it as she was going from one attraction to another.

Mary Anne is survived by her husband of 67 years Joe Norton, and the large, loving, fun family they created. That includes her six sons and their wives: Rick and Kate of Fort Collins, CO; Tom and Jennifer of Raleigh, NC; Pete and Allyson of Burlington, NC; John and Kelly of Monroe, NC; Pat and Pam of Waxhaw, NC; and Mark and Karen of Mooresville NC; grandchildren Nikki (Sean), Joseph (Courtney), Casey (Mike), Alex, Sean (Erin), Vincent, Kennedy, Owen, Kate (Brandon), Evan, Will, and Allie; great-grandchildren Liam, Tucker, Nastasia, Gemma, Charlie, Tatum, Pearl, and Silas. She is also survived by her brother Henri Richard (Annie), sister Louise Kent, brother-in-law Joe Derito, and sisters-in-law Sister Julia Norton and Tessie Richard, along with many nieces and nephews.

Mary Anne was preceded in death by brother Pete Richard, sisters Cathy McLaughlin and Leonie Derito, and brothers-in-law Dan McLaughlin and Don Kent.

The family that Mary Anne leaves behind is an amazing accomplishment and a testament to her years of hard work as well as her joyful spirit. Our family beach trips will never be the same!

Donations to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church (725 Deese St, Monroe, North Carolina) or to your local library are beautiful ways to honor Mary Anne's memory.

A service will be announced at a later date.

Holland Funeral Service is serving the Norton Family.