Norma Francis (Wheeler) Blackledge

Norma Francis (Wheeler) Blackledge, 96, died peacefully in her home on Saturday, December 30, 2023. She was the wife of the late Robert Lester Blackledge, Sr. Norma  was a lifelong resident of Rehoboth, having grown up at Wheeler’s Corner in Rehoboth MA as a child and remaining there after her marriage.  She was the daughter of the late Francis “Doc” E. and Helena M. ( Williams) Wheeler.

Norma was a 1945 graduate of the Dighton High School, then known as Tahoderk, and loved music and piano playing. She graduated second in her class from the Katherine Gibbs School and from this, found secretarial employment at the Hospital Trust Bank in Providence RI where she worked until her marriage to Robert (Bob) in 1950 and the birth of her children.

During her marriage, she had served as Executive Secretary to the Rehoboth Selectmen and owned her own real estate business, Blackledge Real Estate. Norma loved the town of Rehoboth and long held interest in land preservation which led her to support creation of the Rehoboth Land Trust. She was a former member of the Rehoboth Garden Club.

She is survived by her children, Sarah (Blackledge) Alden and her husband Kenneth of Middleboro, Robert Blackledge Jr. and his wife Kathleen of Seekonk, Bruce Blackledge and his wife Dianne of Rehoboth and Glenn Blackledge also of Rehoboth. Norma was devoted to all her grandchildren, Jessica Blackledge, Heather Poidomani, Nicholas Blackledge, Glenn Blackledge Jr., Adam Blackledge and Evan Blackledge, as well as to her great grandchildren, Landon Blackledge, Quinn Blackledge, Bruce Poidomani, Ellianna Blackledge and Grey Blackledge. She was a force in our family and will be sorely missed.