Norma Mae Haight Heubach

Norma Mae Haight Heubach, loving Mom, Nana, Friend and Loved One to so many, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at the age of 92. Norma loved with her whole heart and spread joy in every part of her life. A truly wonderful woman. A life well lived. A life well loved.

Norma was born to Kenneth and Nina (Freeborough) Haight on July 23, 1930 in Warren, Pennsylvania. She studied at the Warren Conservatory of Music and at Carthage College in Carthage, Illinois. She met Herman Heubach in Warren, Pennsylvania and waited for him as he went off to serve his country for four years. They married on April 11, 1953 in Youngsville, Pennsylvania. Norma and Herman moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1956. They welcomed a daughter, Chryl, in 1959 and a son, Scott, in 1960. She went to work for the phone company, US West, which became Qwest. She was very active in her church, Central United Methodist Church in Phoenix, Arizona.

In 1965, she became the Wedding and Funeral Coordinator at CUMC and did weddings for 50 years before retiring from that in 2015. She was thrilled to have been able to coordinate weddings for several generations in some families. She once said that being the Funeral Coordinator was her ministry, and continued doing that up until the year of her passing. After retiring from Qwest, she also loved working in the church office. Some of her favorite things were: assisting her church pastor during Sunday services by being the liturgist; performing with and being a soloist with the CUMC Sanctuary Choir and touring all over the world with them; performing in musicals and plays for the Central Community Theatre (formerly Central Arts Players), taking on many leading roles including Sound of Music, King and I, Once Upon a Mattress, The Music Man, Oklahoma, Hello Dolly!, Fiddler on the Roof, Cinderella, ’S Wonderful, As Thousands Cheer, Wisteria Bush, Harvey, Steel Magnolias, Auntie Mame and several Chancel Dramas. Her favorite role – hands down – Vera Charles in the original Mame. Her standard biography signoff for theater show programs was “Tonight’s performance is dedicated to her granddaughter Rachael, the ‘Light of Her Life.’”

Her passion WAS her family. Her pastimes were sewing, reading books – lots and lots of books, going to performances, plays and concerts, spending time with her sweet pup, Cleo, watching the Game Show Network and spending as much time as possible with family and friends. Norma was a warm, kind soul. A fixture at her church. A woman whose smile rarely left her face. A godly woman whose heart reached out and embraced anyone she knew or anyone she met. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Norma is survived by her son Scott Heubach, her granddaughter and granddaughter-in-law Rachael and Linda Bohnenkamp, her son-in-law Alan Bohnenkamp, the McNeely and Vaughan Families, her beloved poodle Cleo, and many, many friends and loved ones. She was preceded in death by her husband Herman in 1985 and her daughter Chryl Bohnenkamp in 2008.

In keeping with Norma’s wishes, a public memorial service will be held at Central United Methodist Church, 1875 N. Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ on June 17, 2023 at 1 pm. A private inurnment will be held at a later date at Central United Methodist Church columbarium, where she will be laid to rest with her husband, Herman and next to her daughter, Chryl. Memorials may be made in her name to Central United Methodist Church or to any animal rescue organization of your choice.