Norma Loretta (Egersheim) Heider, 93, known lovingly as Mimi, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family at Lowell General Hospital on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. She was the beloved wife of the late Paul Francis Heider, Sr., with whom she shared 74 years of marriage before his passing last year.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 15, 1932, she was the daughter of the late William Egersheim and the late Margaret (Gaulrappe) Egersheim. Norma was raised in Jamaica Plain and Roxbury, where she attended St. Rita's Catholic Elementary School and Roxbury High School.
Norma's life's work was her family. She was a devoted stay at home mother who raised seven children to be responsible, productive and caring adults, and she brought that same energy and capability to everything else she turned her hand to. She taught herself speedwriting and became deeply involved in Tewksbury town affairs, leading the movement to bring long distance calling plans to the town and serving as a member of the Town Historic Commission. All the while she stood beside her husband Paul, a general contractor, managing his office and providing the clerical support, financial expertise and customer care that kept the day to day business running.
She had a lifelong love of collecting dolls and amassed a remarkable collection over the years. A certified ceramics instructor, she taught classes and delighted in sharing what she knew, from cleaning greenware and preparing it for the kiln to the difference between painting and glazing a finished piece. Together with Paul she built a massive model train display in their home, assembling the buildings and creating the landscapes by hand. Visitors were amazed by the detail of it. The two of them frequently attended model train shows, and they loved traveling around the country and camping together.
Norma is survived by her seven children, Paul F. Heider of Christiana, TN, Michael and Kathryn Heider of Winter Haven, FL, Gene and Diana Heider of Hudson, NH, Kathaleen (Heider) Crosby of Tewksbury, MA, Joseph and Maryellen Heider of Chelmsford, MA, Daniel and Paula Heider of Nashua, NH, and James Heider and Melissa Kandrotas of Tewksbury, MA. She was also blessed with 33 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren and 16 great-great-grandchildren. In addition to her husband and her parents, she was predeceased by her two sisters, Emma (Mitzie) Blanchette and Janet Thompson-Woitkowski.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend visiting hours on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Tewksbury Funeral Home, 1 Dewey Street, Tewksbury, MA 01876. Her funeral will begin on Thursday morning at the funeral home at 9:30am. Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at 10:30am at St. William Church, 1351 Main Street, Tewksbury, MA 01876. Burial will follow at Tewksbury Cemetery, 172 East Street, Tewksbury, MA.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Norma L. Heider may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, or online at www.stjude.org; The Home for Little Wanderers, 72 East Dedham Street, Boston, MA 02118, or online at www.thehome.org; or the National Kidney Foundation, 30 East 33rd Street, New York, NY 10016, or online at www.kidney.org. Arrangements are under the care and direction of the Tewksbury Funeral Home. For additional information or to offer an online condolence, please visit www.tewksburyfuneralhome.com.