AUBURN — Norma Jane (Plaisted) Rice-Gould of Auburn, North Jay, and Bailey Island, died at Clover Manor on the morning of Wednesday, October 24, on what would have been her Dad’s 108th birthday. She was born on the family farm in North Jay on January 9, 1936, the daughter of Beryle (Jones) and Norman A. Plaisted.
She was educated in schools of North Jay and Jay, graduating with the Jay High School Class of 1954. An R.N., she graduated from Nursing School at Maine General Hospital (MMC) with the class of 1956. She worked a short time as a nurse at Central Maine General (CMMC) and for many years as a private-duty nurse in the Lewiston-Auburn area. Norma was the Title 1 Home-School Coordinator for the Auburn School Department for several decades, retiring in 2001 when the federal program was eliminated.
She married Clifton H. (“Kip”) Rice in 1957. Together, they had four children, all raised in Auburn; they later divorced. On October 9, 1981, she married Michael T. Gould. They recently celebrated their 37th anniversary.
For nearly 50 years, she served as the organist and guest musician coordinator at the United Methodist Church of Auburn. She also served as the summer organist for the Empire Grove Campmeeting Association in East Poland, and for many years was co-dean and accompanist for the Mechuwana Music-Theatre Camp in Winthrop. As a child, she was a camper at the same Methodist camp and later served as camp nurse. Norma played for countless weddings, funerals, variety shows, Grange meetings, and more. Norma taught hundreds of children how to play the piano. She was a Den Mother for Cub Scouts and a Troop Leader for Brownies and Girl Scouts.
Norma was a pillar of the community for her entire adult life. Her work with mothers and children throughout the Greater Lewiston-Auburn area had an immeasurable effect on generations of families. This included the “Mother’s Club” in the Auburn Schools, the Christmas “Giving Tree” and the Thanksgiving baskets (for families in need throughout the area) at the United Methodist Church of Auburn and countless musical fundraiser productions in several different schools. A long-time patron of Lewiston-Auburn’s Community Little Theatre, she played for at least two musical productions.
Norma’s home at 445 Court Street in Auburn was a safe-haven for countless young people who needed a place to hang out and visit and for many people who needed a temporary place to stay when they were down on their luck. She also made it a home for her aging parents at the ends of their lives. She loved with all her heart “Gramkyn”, the cottage that her father built on Bailey Island. She would spend summers there caring for her parents and later with her husband, children and grandchildren.
She is survived by: her husband Michael of Auburn; her sister, Elizabeth (“Betty”) Plaisted Robbins and her husband John Robbins of Bailey Island, her brother, Lawrence Plaisted, and her sister-in-law, Judy Smith Plaisted, both of Hampden; her four children, Michael Jay Rice of Auburn, Timothy Jay Rice and his wife Carla McAllister of New Gloucester, Peter Jay Rice of Fountain Valley, California, and Rebecca Jayne Rice of Turner; two stepsons, William Gould of Maryland, and Charles Gould and his wife Sue of Texas; she was Nana to three grandchildren, Nicholas Jay Rice of Montana, Kimberly Beth Smith and husband Anthony of Auburn, and Joseph Alexander Dustin of Turner; four step grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, Abigail Bailey Smith of Auburn. She is also survived by several nieces, nephews and cousins, and countless very close friends who thought of her as a mother, sister or Nana.
Norma was predeceased by her parents, her grandparents, her maternal aunt Elizabeth Socec, several uncles and aunts on her father’s side of the family, her first husband, her daughter-in-law Debby Rice, and several dear cousins.
A Celebration Choir will be formed and directed by former choir director Sandy Simpson. Singers (past and present choir members and anyone else) interested in joining the choir should meet Sandy in the Choir Room at 11:30 a.m. for rehearsal.
A Celebration of Life for Norma will be held at the United Methodist Church of Auburn, 439 Park Avenue, on Saturday, November 3 at 1 p.m. The family will greet guests starting at 12 noon on the same day. A light reception will follow at the church. Memorial gifts can be made to the “Nana’s Piano Lessons Scholarship Fund” c/o Kimberly Smith, 10 Atwood Street, Auburn, ME 04210.