of Hot Springs, AR

September 16, 1931 - January 26, 2020

Norma J. Keith, age 88, of Hot Springs, formerly of Helena, Arkansas passed away on January 26, 2020. She is survived by seven nieces and nephews and many grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

She was born in Camden, Arkansas on September 16, 1931. At age nine she and her family moved to Northwest Louisiana where she lived until age 16. She then returned to Arkansas to live with her sister and brother-in-law, Eleanor and Hubert Atkins, in North Little Rock.

After graduating from North Little Rock High School she worked for two years then joined the United States Navy. She served four years in Washington, D.C, and then at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where she also played softball for the Pearl Harbor Waves.

While stationed in Washington, D.C. she was chosen to serve in President Truman's Honor Guard, and accompanied the President to all his ceremonial functions. While in Washington, D.C. she was invited to join the Navy's Women's Pistol Team, in which she competed and won the National Indoor Pistol Championship in 1953. Miss Keith was the only enlisted person on the team.

After completing her four years of service at Pearl Harbor, Miss Keith left the Navy and attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, completing her undergraduate and graduate work in four years. She then accepted the position of Assistant to the Dean of Women at Ohio State University. After three years she changed direction and accepted a position of Personnel Assistant at BATAAN Memorial Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After another five years she decided it was time to return to her family in Arkansas. She accepted the position of Director of Human Resources at Helena Regional Medical Center, and went on to retire after 23 years. During her time there she served as President of the Arkansas Hospital's Personnel Directors Association. Upon retirement, Miss Keith moved to Hot Springs.

Norma recently moved to the West Shores Independent Living facility where she enjoyed playing Bingo with her fellow residents. She was an avid reader, enjoyed boating and art as hobbies, was a loyal Arkansas Razorbacks fan, and loved spending time with her family.

She wished to acknowledge the efforts of her nephew, Doug Keith, in helping find her caregiver, Mary Davis, who not only took excellent care of her, but enriched her life as well.

She also wished to acknowledge her niece, Vicki Keith Miller, who took every step with her in relocating to independent living, selling her home, and other legal matters.

Miss Keith accepted Christ as her Savior when she was 14 years old and has always believed it was His hand on her shoulder that guided her through her life and gave her the blessings she received, and a modicum of success she had in her life!

A Funeral Service will be 2:00 p.m. Friday, January 31, 2020 in the Chapel of Roller-Alcoa Funeral Home, 6700 Alcoa Rd. Benton, AR. Interment with military honors will follow in Pinecrest Memorial Park in Alexander, Arkansas.

A time of Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., an hour prior to the service, at the Funeral Home.

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