Obituary of Norma Jean Hartley

July 12, 1942 – October 21, 2022

54 Year Resident of Santa Cruz

A memorial ceremony is planned for December 3 in Santa Cruz, for Norma Jean Hartley who passed away peacefully at her Santa Cruz home surrounded by her loving family. Born in West Virginia, her family relocated to Southern California as a young child and first met her loving husband Dennis, at La Brea High School. Norma and her husband Dennis moved to Santa Cruz in 1970 with their children and remained in Santa Cruz for 54years until her passing.  For more than 40 years, she was a friendly face at Albertsons’ supermarket in Capitola where she worked as a checker.  Years after retirement, she would still run into previous customers who recalled her kind smile. Norma possessed a genuine gentleness with people, and she felt blessed to have had countless store customers become lifelong friends.  Her family will forever cherish the many memories of her talents as a storyteller and family historian. With each new addition to her family, she would be the record keeper and update the family bible handed down to her from her mother. Her family was of paramount importance to her.  Her face would light up as she would tell stories and individual special memories of all her family members. Her loving husband Dennis remarked how Norma truly never met a soul she did not like and could make a stranger feel like part of her family.  Once you were a part of her extended family, you were a member for life. She was an accomplished world traveler as she and Dennis were fortunate to visit many distant destinations over the years.

Norma is survived by her husband Dennis Hartley; her daughter and son-in-law Jennifer & Bill Cordoza; her daughter Deanna Hartley & fiancé Bobby LeBarre.   She also leaves her beloved grandchildren Lucas, Katie, Joey, Dana, Sean, and Brittany, 12 great grandchildren, a great granddaughter, extended family members Ageo, Cyndi, Melanie, Jamie, Lindsey & their families. She was preceded in death by her parents Archie & Pauline Weber, her son Brian Hartley, her grandson Scott Perez, her brother & sister David & Louise Weber, her son in law Filo Perez and her sister in law Cindi Lynn Lebon.  

Family and friends will gather on Saturday December 3, 2022 at Benito and Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel beginning at 1 p.m.