Norma Ione Loye Longmire

Norma Ione (Loye) Longmire, age 92, of Yorba Linda, CA passed away, Sunday, June 7, 2026 at Providence St. Jude Hospital in Fullerton, CA.

Norma was born Nov.14, 1933 in Red Wing, MN to parents John Norman and Etta Rowse (MacDonald) Loye. When she was 6 months old the family moved to Pickford, MI to be closer to Etta’s family.

She began her education in Sault Ste. Marie, MI, attended 5th - 7th grades in Kansas City, MO, and returned with the family to Brimley, MI where she graduated from Superior Township High School. She attended Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI, graduating in 1955. She and her college roommate interviewed and were hired to teach in the Riverside (CA) Unified School District and they moved across country. Norma was to teach typing at Ramona High School. The day after they arrived in Riverside, Norma was summoned to the Superintendent’s office and was offered a position teaching typing, shorthand, and other business subjects at Riverside Community College (RCC). She taught at RCC for 3 years.

Through a teaching friend, she met Thomas H. Longmire, who was in the Air Force and stationed at George AFB near Victorville, CA, and married him on Aug. 17, 1957 in Sault Ste. Marie, MI. After the wedding, they returned to Riverside, via Tom’s hometown in Yakima, WA. The couple had 2 children, Laurette and Jeffrey. They were married 44 years.

Once her children were older, Norma returned to work and taught typing at Ramona High School, worked for Children’s Home Society, and was Secretary to the Manager of the Riverside Chamber of Commerce. She lived 22 years in Riverside when, in 1977, the family moved to Spokane, WA following the relocation of Tom’s employment. She had left “winter” in Northern Michigan and didn’t really want to move back into it! In 1979, Norma and Tom purchased Holiday Pools, a fiberglass pool manufacturer in Spokane. In 1981, they left Holiday Pools and returned to Southern California. Upon her return to SoCal, she worked for several businesses: Laguna Beach Museum of Art, La Jolla Cancer Research Center, Bramalea Home Builders, and Capital Group, retiring in 1999.

In college she joined the Alpha Omicron PI (AOPi) Sorority and, in 2026, was recognized by the AOPi Southern California Council (SCC) as a member of AOPi for 72 years. In Riverside, she joined the Riverside Alumnae Panhellenic Association (RAPA) and held various leadership roles to raise funds for scholarships by hosting Home Tours and Haunted Houses. Returning from Spokane, she resumed her membership with RAPA and became active with the North Orange County AOPi’s. In 2025, she was presented with the Bonnie Berger Award by SCC, recognizing members who demonstrate outstanding mentorship, foster personal and organizational growth, and promote understanding across all areas of membership.

Norma was actively involved with her daughter in synchronized swimming, becoming involved in tabulating results for local, regional, and national competitions and rising to National Scoring Chairman running or participating in the scoring of numerous National and World Aquatics Championships in the US and abroad. Her knowledge was recognized for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles where she was named the Assistant Competition Director for Synchronized Swimming.

She was also involved in administrative roles with the Riverside Aquettes club, and for the sport locally, regionally, and nationally, culminating in being named Secretary of US Synchronized Swimming, a member of the Board of Directors, from 1988-1990. In 2002, and again in 2022, she received the West Zone, covering the 11 western states, Contributor of the Year Award.

In 2010, she was recognized by the Riverside Sport Hall of Fame for “…bringing honor and fame to the City of Riverside by as a Contributor in Synchronized Swimming and attained National recognition” with her name added to the Wall of Distinction (corner of 14th Street and Magnolia Ave.). In 2020, she was presented the Hall of Fame – Contributor Award by US Artistic Swimming, formerly US Synchronized Swimming.

She was a friendly, outgoing person, made friends easily, and effortlessly recalled information about the groups she was involved with as well as people’s names. She had a good sense of humor and liked to share good stories with friends and family.

Family was important to her since she was an only child. She routinely traveled to participate in birthday, life, and other celebrations specifically to be with family.

She was an avid genealogist, finding information about her family in Ireland, Scotland, and 1700’s Denmark; her and her husband’s families in 1700’s England; and tracing both family’s migrations across the US. Following the World Aquatics Championships in Sweden in 2010, she travelled to the small town of Sakskøbing, Denmark where her family emigrated from, learned more about the area from local a historian and a genealogist, and was able to be in the house her family had owned in the 1700 and 1800s. She loved travelling both domestically and internationally on family holidays, with her husband on business trips, attending World Aquatics Championships (Perth and Melbourne, AUS; Rome, ITA; Göteborg, SWE; Montreal, CAN; and Shanghai, CHN) and Olympic Games (1996-Atlanta, 2000-Sydney, and 2004-Athens).

Family and friends will deeply miss her. Norma is survived by her daughter, Laurette, and daughter-in-law Wai Ha (Susanna), Jeff’s wife, and her 2 girls: Gina Nastasi & Gloria Sundberg.

Memorial donations in Norma’s name may be made to the First United Presbyterian Church in Sault Ste. Marie, MI; Calvary Presbyterian Church in Riverside, CA; or the American Heart Association.

Visitation and services are scheduled as follows:

• • • Visitation
      July 8, 2026 between 2-4pm
      at O’Connor Laguna Hills Chapel and Mortuary, 25301 Alicia Parkway in Laguna Hills, CA
    • Service
      July 9, 2026
      at Calvary Presbyterian Church, 4495 Magnolia Ave. in Riverside, CA;
      parking in the lower lot is free
    • - Viewing from 9:30-10am
      - Celebration of Life service at 10am
    • Service + burial
      July 9, 2026 at 11:30am
      at Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Blvd. in Riverside, CA