Norma-Rae (D’Esopo) Wachs, age 78, late of East Falmouth and former resident of Natick, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, February 5, 2017, in the company of her loving family at her daughter's home in Worcester. She shared 32 wonderful years of marriage with her husband, the late Anthony Lee Wachs.
Born, raised, and educated in Windsor, CT, the daughter of the late Francis and Shirley (Sanford) D’Esopo, Norma-Rae was a 1956 graduate of the Chaffee School (now Loomis Chaffee) following which she studied at Hartford College for Women. She met Tony, and they married in 1960. They settled in Hartford and moved to Massachusetts when Tony got a job in the fledgling computer industry. Norma-Rae went back to college when her daughters were adults, earning a BA in architecture from Wellesley College in 1990.
Active in politics, she served in a number of positions in Natick town government and was a delegate to the state Democratic convention in 2014. Her love of travel, art, and architecture brought her to beautiful locations across the globe with family and friends.
Norma-Rae is survived by her two daughters, Malory Truman of Worcester, and Laura Wachs of Millbury; her adored grandchildren, Francesca, Rowan, Nicholas, and Daniel; brothers, Sanford D’Esopo and his wife Cheryl, Barry D’Esopo and his wife Karen, and Stephen D’Esopo and his wife Dorothy, as well as numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and lifelong friends.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Celebration of her Life on Saturday, February 18 at the Church of Christ Congregational, UCC, 142 Exchange Street, Millis, at 4:00 P.M.
Visitation hours will be held at John Everett & Sons Funeral Home, 4 Park Street, at Natick Common, on Friday between the hours of 4:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Norma-Rae’s memory can be made to the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester, 65 Tainter Street, Worcester, MA, 01610 or the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen Street, Framingham, MA, 01701.