Amherst – Norma Dick Filios passed away peacefully on Friday, September 25^th at home holding her husband’s hand.  She was born August 10^th, 1922 in Lawrence, Massachusetts to Kathryn (Mahoney) and Walter Dick.

Norma grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts, graduating from Classical High School.  During her high school years, she was a trumpet player and a baton twirler; as an avid musician she played in a dance band, the Dix Sisters with her 3 sisters.  She went on to graduate from Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia in 1945 studying education and music.    After graduating from college, Norma taught music in Pocatello, Idaho and played in the Southern Idaho Symphony.  She then moved on to become Music Supervisor at Hopewell, Virginia.    Eventually, she returned to Massachusetts to teach music at Auburn High where she put together a full Marching band despite starting the year with only 4 musicians.

While teaching in Auburn, she met her husband, Frederick A Filios and they were married in June 1952.  They settled in Amherst where they started their family that grew to eight children.  While living in Amherst raising her children, Norma was an active member of the community as a Girl Scout leader and volunteer for school and community events.  She was a parishioner of St Brigid’s Church, and a long standing member of the Daughters of Isabella, serving as regent for several years.  They moved to Panama in 1965 returning after a few years when they discovered their youngest child was profoundly deaf.  In 1969 Norma started her Masters of Education of the Deaf at Smith College, graduating in 1970.  She taught at Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton from 1970 to 1987.  During her years at Clarke, she thought of her students as an extension of her family.  As the senior class advisor she led 15 class trips to Washington DC, even gaining recognition in the Congressional Record for her caring and devoted service as a teacher.

She will be deeply missed by her loving husband of 63 years, Frederick A Filios, along with their children Kathryn Finn of S Deerfield; Walter and wife Suzanne of Gulfport, Mississippi; Paul and wife Maria of Alexandria, Virginia; Teresa Korpita and husband John of Sunderland; William and wife Larissa of Malden; Marita Magnant and husband Gary of Topsfield; Elizabeth Tyler and husband William of Hadley; Laurie Blanchard and husband Daniel of Southborough; her 20 grandchildren Michael, Danette, Bridget, Socorro, and Teresa children of Kathryn; Kimberly, Jason, Sarah, Paula and Patrick children of Paul; Ksusha and Marina children of Teresa; Salvatore son of Bill; Ross, Sage and Grace children of Marita; John and Kathryn children of Elizabeth; Georgieanna and Annabel children of Laurie; and 3 great grandchildren Emily, Sophia and Jonathan from the Finn family; her sisters Marita Stratton of Lee, Arlyne Dick of Falmouth, brother Walter and wife Judy of Bradenton, Florida, and sister-in-law Marilyn Dick of Austin, Texas.  She was predeceased by sister Paulyne Dick, brother Raymond Dick and son-in-law John Michael Finn.

Visitation will be held Wednesday, Sept 30, from  5:00 – 8:00pm at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, October 1, at 10:00 am at St Brigid’s Church, Amherst. Burial will follow in St. Brigid’s Cemetery, Hadley.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests memorial donations to St Brigid’s Church, 122 North Pleasant St., Amherst, MA  01004, or to Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech, 45 Round Hill Road, Northampton, MA 01060, www.ClarkeSchools.org.

Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com