Norma Jean (Grant) Metcalf was born at Everett Hospital on November 29, 1929, the youngest child and only daughter of Lloyd and Myrtle Grant. She went home to be with Jesus on May 30, 2024 at the age of 94, and was surrounded by her daughters in her final days.

Norma spent her first eight years in a small farmhouse on Useless Bay, and attended Bayview School for three years, sharing a classroom with 4 grades. In 1937 her family moved to Clinton, where her father purchased the Consolidated Clinton School and opened Grant’s Hatchery to raise chickens and turkeys. She attended Langley School and graduated as Valedictorian of the 19 students in Langley High School’s class of 1947.

Norma met Jack Metcalf when she was a 9th grader at Langley H.S. When he first asked her to a school dance, she thought her friends were pranking her. Once he convinced her that the invitation was real, Norma’s father thought she was too young to go to a dance with a boy, but he did drive her to school to meet Jack at the dance. That was the start of their 60 years together. Norma attended the University of Washington for one year, and then married Jack on October 4, 1948. Jack and Norma had four daughters for whom Norma was a loving and involved mother. She was the ultimate 4-H mom, bringing food, trailering horses, supplying bobby pins to keep hats on heads, and more. She put up with multitudes of animals, including dogs, cats, horses, and baby raccoons! She and Jack intentionally involved the girls in all aspects of their political life, and organized home life so their daughters didn’t realize how much their father was away.

Norma thought she was marrying a teacher, and that was her life for their first ten years of marriage. When Jack got involved with politics, Norma was not thrilled, but they were a political team for the next forty years. She gave speeches, baked pies for staff meetings, and talked to new political wives about how to keep their husbands grounded in real life (“have them take out the garbage when they get home”).

From 1964 through 1981, Norma was a secretary at Olympic View Junior High in Mukilteo. She worked out a deal with the other secretary, who would take care of all vomiting children while Norma dealt with the blood. During her tenure, the district moved to using computers for attendance and report cards, a change that caused more problems than it solved!

In 1974, Jack and Norma moved from Mukilteo to long-time Metcalf family property on Whidbey Island, where Jack built a log house that Norma had designed. After their youngest daughter headed to college, Norma opened their home as a Christian retreat center. In 1985, she transitioned to running the house as the Log Castle Bed and Breakfast, hosting travelers from around the world for 15 years. Norma was famous for her cinnamon rolls and other breakfast treats.

Norma committed her life to Jesus in 1971 and her faith has been a large part of her life ever since. She and Jack became members at South Whidbey Assembly of God Church after moving to the island. Over the years, she was a member of the DAR, an Island County Fair Board member, a member of the Republican Women’s Club, and a board member for and very active in the South Whidbey Historical Society. Her favorite hobby was picking berries, especially Cascade berries from which she made world-famous, fabulous pies.

Norma was predeceased by her parents, her brothers Rodney and Gordon Grant, and Jack Metcalf, her husband of 59 years. She is survived by her four daughters Marta Cahill, Gayle Metcalf, Lea (Dennis) Headley, and Beverlee Ann (Dave) Bowman, ten grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren. A memorial service is planned for Saturday,June 8, at 2:00 pm at the South Whidbey Assembly of God. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to support Norma’s favorite charity, Mama Maggie in her work with children in Egypt through StephensChildren.org.

Arrangements have been made with the assistance of Whidbey Memorial Funeral and Cremation Service.