Norma Gosiak Obituary



NORMA KAY GOSIAK
October 31, 1935 ˜ December 2, 2018

Norma Kay (Blakeley) Gosiak, born October 31, 1935 in Chicago Illinois, passed peacefully in her sleep Sunday December 2, 2018 at Brookside Manor in Hood River Oregon.
She is survived by her husband Albert Gosiak of Vancouver, Washington, two sons Albert Gosiak Jr. (Charlotte) of the The Dalles, Oregon and Bill Gosiak of Sun Lakes, Arizona, and two grandsons, Aaron Gosiak (Kimberly) of Tacoma, Washington and Alec Gosiak of Eugene, Oregon.
Norma lived with her parents William and Miriam Blakeley and brother William in Chicago until early in 1942 when the family relocated to Vancouver, where her father worked as an accountant for Boeing Corporation and her mother as a surgical nurse at Vancouver Memorial Hospital. Norma graduated from Vancouver High School in 1954 and took her first job at Meier and Frank, sharing an apartment with lifelong best friend Linda Coughlin.
In 1956 Norma married Albert Gosiak, a decorated Korean war veteran and printer at Crown Zellerbach paper mill, and they resided in Vancouver. They welcomed the birth of Al Jr. in 1956 and the birth of Bill in 1963.
In 1969, to the astonishment of their friends and family, they bought the Skamania General Store and moved to the wilds of the Columbia River Gorge. The family added Al’s Drive-In next to the store in the summer of 1972. Al and Norma purchased the Hidden Valley Ranch in Skamania in 1973 with an eye on retiring there, and in 1975 sold the store and restaurant and moved into the ranch where they lived until 2005. With the sale of the Hidden Valley Ranch, Al and Norma returned to Vancouver where they resided until November 11, 2014. That day a mature Douglas Fir tree fell on their house during an early winter storm, destroying the bedroom she was occupying at the time with a partial roof collapse that fell down on top of her. She escaped with the help of Al, suffering minor injuries, but the house would need extensive repairs and was not habitable for more than six months.
Norma will be remembered for her positive, friendly outlook and gracious hospitality. She enjoyed volunteer work with the county election board and the Skamania Grange, quality time with friends and family, and travels with her husband and lifelong companion Albert.
A memorial gathering is planned for 1 to 4:00 p.m. Saturday, December 8, 2018 at Al and Norma’s home located at 13614 NE Regents Drive, Vancouver, Washington. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Providence Foundation Sunshine Club, 1550 Brookside Dr, Hood River, OR 97031.
Please sign her guestbook at www.columbian.com/obits

Published by The Columbian on Dec. 6, 2018.
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Memories and Condolences
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6 Entries

I remember Norma, Liz, and Linda from the old days walking together. They were all very sweet to me. Condolences to Al

Mary Lynne Stacy

December 13, 2018

Norma always had a warm and sweet demeanor about her. I caught my first steelhead at hidden Valley Ranch. With her boys grown up and out conquering the world she was always happy to see me show up and give it a go fishing . I will always remember that about her. She was always waving me on down by the dock from her window .Her smile will never be forgotten. Rest in peace

Kevin Fritz

December 12, 2018

My condolences to Al Gosiak and family. Norma will always be remembered by me as a kind, wonderful woman. I missed seeing her and Al from time to time when they resided in Skamania. Rest in peace Norma.

JoAnn Fritz

December 11, 2018

To my good friend from Jr High and High School we had so much fun. We remained friends until a year or two ago. Rest in peace my friend. Love, Finn

December 7, 2018

My deepest condolences to Al and the Gosiak family. Norma was like a second mother to me. My mother Linda and her were best friends from early in life. I look back fondly on the times with the Gosiaks and there were a lot of those times! I feel blessed to have had her in my life. Love Always

Patrick Coughlin

December 6, 2018

Norma was always a bright light to family gatherings. She will be missed.

Sue Knapp

December 6, 2018

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