Alumna Celebrates 100th Birthday | Newsroom | University of Rochester School of Nursing

Faith Barnum Norton ’39, ’40N, marked a milestone birthday with long-stemmed red roses and a celebration with her friends and neighbors. 

The alumna and former nursing instructor turned 100 years old on April 14 at home at Acacia Village, an independent living retirement community in Utica. In honor of the occasion, the Acacia Village Residents Association presented her with a bouquet of roses, and fellow residents joined her for a special Friday night Happy Hour celebration.

“I feel like I’ve been blessed because of the experiences I’ve enjoyed and the people involved,” Norton said.

Norton, who moved to Acacia Village in 2007, enjoys music, reading, sharing her wonderful sense of humor, and spending time with her friends. She is also involved in many of the residential community’s activities. 

She retired in 1979 after a long career in nursing and education. Upon graduating from the University of Rochester, she worked for a year at Strong Memorial Hospital and pursued graduate study at Columbia University before joining the U.S. Army during World War II. She served as a nurse in Texas and Washington, where she helped to care for men returning from active duty overseas.

After the war, she completed her master’s degree and was associate professor of nursing at Syracuse University, where she met her husband, Aaron. They married and moved to Old Forge, N.Y., where they both worked for the Town of Webb School for many years. Faith was the school nurse and also taught health education.