Norma DePauli: One of Stockton’s Angels
Every community has its angels, people who work selflessly behind the scenes, sacrificing their time, money and energy to give back to those around them. You might not always see them but they’re still present, meeting the needs of the community from the greatest to the least.
Stockton has many such angels, but one of the most notable is Norma DePauli. She has been described as a volunteer extraordinaire, spending much of her time volunteering at organizations that serve the underprivileged and give back to the local community. Whether through her work with Hospice of San Joaquin, her incredible more-than-ten-gallon blood donation record or her magical appearances as Mrs. Claus, Norma has touched thousands of lives with her hard work and gentle smile.
She was born in Stockton, and nothing stands in Norma’s way when she wants to give back to the city that raised her. Even when her four daughters were still young, she found ways to be locally involved. She began by volunteering for yard duty at their nearby elementary school when they were short-staffed, bringing her infant twins in their stroller as she helped the teachers. As they grew, Norma also began to volunteer at St. Joseph’s Auxiliary, despite some of those in charge trying to dissuade her because she had “too many kids at home.” Determined to prove them wrong, she continued to show up twice a month, every other Tuesday for 40 years, making her the volunteer with the most years served in the hospital’s history.
Norma’s service to the community reaches far beyond St. Joseph’s. For years she has also volunteered weekly at St. Mary’s Dining Hall, from helping with lunches to leading classes. Her children often joined her, and they still have a yearly tradition of serving breakfast at the soup kitchen on Christmas Eve. Now the grandchildren join in too. As Norma said, “It’s usually a family thing. Most about everything we do is!” She also is known for donning the role of Mrs. Claus every Christmas for both the Stockton Children’s Museum and the homeless shelter, bringing holiday joy to the local youth population. But that gleam in her eye isn’t just Christmas cheer. “I like to joke around,” she said, her gentle voice at odds with her mischievous smile. “A lot of people don’t know how to take me at first, but I like to make things fun, whatever I do.”
In 2023, Norma’s daughters nominated her for the Remarkable Women award through Fox40 News. As their website states, “Remarkable Women is part of a nationwide Nexstar initiative to honor the influence that women have had on public policy, social progress and the quality of life.” Norma’s vast accomplishments and selfless endeavors launched her into a finalist position and earned her a Certificate of Recognition. She was thrilled, though ever humble, calling her work “just little things…tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”
Norma is also a steadfast volunteer with the Hospice of San Joaquin. She joined their Butterfly Auxiliary after she lost her husband to cancer a little more than a decade ago, inspired by the difference hospice care had made in their lives during such a difficult time. She can often be found working at their events, from the small community gatherings to the galas. The list of Norma’s work goes on and on, from the Italian Athletic Club and as a VIP hostess at Festa Italiana to being a lay Eucharistic minister at her church. But her most important work? Giving a listening ear to those who need it. “Everybody has a story,” she said, and she listens to that story whether she’s working at the homeless shelter or among the VIPs.
When asked why she’s dedicated her life to service, Norma sums up her motivation in a single, simple phrase. “I love to make people happy.” From a young age, she knew she wanted to help people. As a devout Catholic, giving back to others is a very important part of her faith and an integral part of how Norma approaches the world. “I used to say when I was a little girl that I’d grow up to be an angel,” she said, describing the Bible’s messengers of God that bring people good news and joy. She still loves angels; they decorate her life, from trinkets in the corners of her house to her stationary. And if you ask any of the many, many people Norma has touched through her years of sacrificial service, they won’t hesitate to confirm that she is, indeed, an angel.
