Norma Gabrielle Schlicht

27 December 1924 to 6 July 2021

Eulogy provided by Schlicht family

Norma was born in Temuka, New Zealand, the youngest of three children. Her father, Michael, was a sheep farmer and her mother, also called Norma, was a music teacher.

On completion of her secondary schooling, Norma moved to Melbourne to study at the Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne.  Norma was a mezzo soprano.  She lived at St Mary’s Hall, the residential college at the University of Melbourne and there met her husband-to-be, David, who was in residence at Newman College.

After finishing a diploma in music, she went to London.  There, Norma was chosen to be in the choir at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, one of two to represent New Zealand.  In 1953 whilst in London she married David.  Following completion of David’s surgical training, they returned to Australia.

Norma and David had 5 children, Susan, Terry, Anthony, Stephen and Christopher.  At the start of their married life, they lived in Burke Road Camberwell and Our Lady of Victories was their parish church.

In 1971, David was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.  Knowing she needed to support her family, Norma then completed her Bachelor of Music and Diploma of Education.  She started teaching at Presentation Convent, Windsor and later became Director of Music at MacRobertson Girls’ High School, Melbourne where she stayed until her retirement at age 65 years.  David died in 1973 at the age of 49 years.

Norma was an inspirational and extraordinary music teacher. She was supportive of musical achievement in all her students. On her retirement from MacRob, an award was created in her name and continues to be awarded annually to a student in Year 9 or 10 for outstanding contribution to the school’s instrumental program.  All her children learnt music on a variety of instruments.  Susan is one of our organists at Our Lady of Victories today.

Norma was also very passionate about education, believing that a good education was the way forward in life.  She insisted on her children completing their tertiary degrees even though it may have been financially easier to send them straight to work after school. After despairing of never having any grandchildren, she now has 10.  They have brought her great joy, although not all are greatly interested in music.

After her formal retirement, she continued to teach part-time.  Norma was still teaching her young neighbours the piano a few months prior to her death.

In December 2018, Norma fell and broke her hip. Her health deteriorated from there and eventually she was diagnosed with cancer from which she died at home on 6th July 2021.

Forever in our hearts.