Farewell, Norma Jean Page!
The day has come for the reputable Norma Jean Page, Director of the Isle of Palms Recreation Department to retire. Twenty-five years to the date, Oct. 13, will be her final day.
Page has worked alongside five mayors, three city administrators and more council members than she can count; a dedicated staff, a community she considers family and an admired recreation center that has served as the hub on the island. For those thatdon’t know Page well, she’s as honest as the summer days are long, loyal like a labrador and one of the hardest working individuals you’ve ever met. There is no halfway point for this warrior; it’s go big or go home. If she’s involved, you better believe it will be buttoned up and ready to rock n roll. In a few days, she will exit thedoors of the Isle of Palms Recreation building with her head held high, knowing she had a fundamental role in creating one of the best features on Isle of Palms.
The early days
It’s hard to imagine the present day Isle of Palms Recreation Center covered in trees and weeds with bars on the window. “It looked like a third world country and needed a major overhaul,” Page explained. “Ain’t no way I’m working here,” were the words she mumbled as she sat staring at the car in the parking lot with flat tires and a grim building in the background.
“I didn’t even know there was a tennis court because it was covered with weeds.” During the interview, Page was asked, “So whydo you want to work here?” In her true style, she responds with, “Well, Idon’t know that Ido unless there is a master plan or you’re wanting to build a new facility.”
Luckily, they did have a plan and she accepted the challenge of turning an old, tired building into what the community has today. When I asked Page how she knew where to start, she simply responded, “I started with the community and listened to what they were interested in and started there. I got to know my staff and their strengths as well as how to help them succeed in their departments. I didn’t want to come in and bulldoze everything. They weredoing a lot of great things and I wanted to build on that. She continued, “an important part of running any program is listening, offering support and not jumping to criticism.” Page attended every council meeting, every event and observed how things weredone and spoke with the community. From there, she polished up what was in motion and executed many of the special events, programs and fitness classes in action to date. Linda Tucker, the previous city administrator for 18 years said, “Some say the ‘Rec Center’ is the heart of the Isle of Palms and much of that culture is due to the spirit fostered by Norma Jean as the leader of that department.”
You can feel her dedication when you enter the building.
‘Best ole boss’
It didn’t take long for Page to establish a reputation of “kicking butts and taking names,” explained Donnie Pitts, previous grounds and maintenance supervisor and currently the director of public works for the city. “She was the best boss if you did your job. Perfection was required and a lot of people thatdon’t look for perfection have a hard time with her. For those that give it 100% and want to succeed, she’s the best person to work with.” Page’s attention to detail, alongside her years of experience in this field are rare.
Pitts appointed Page the nickname, B.O.B, Best Ole Boss. To date, this is what he calls her and also mentioned that she’s the best supervisor he’s ever worked with. “The best thing I did was accept a position working with Norma Jean,” Pitts said. Page and Tucker changed Pitts’ life and for the first time he wanted to work instead of having to work. When asking Kerrie Ferrell, who has worked with Page as the “good cop” for 20 years to describe her as a boss, she described her as a “great, opendoor policy, always there for you boss. As long as you did your job, she’ll have your back, no matter what.”
Many said the same. Page would accept blame and never throw anyone, on her team, under the bus. She has acted as their armored knight since she walked through thosedoors… as long as youdo your job. Tucker said, “She’s not one to seek accolades for herself, but rather acknowledgement of the success of those she nurtures… She has guided young talent and helped teach future leaders. If someone works with Norma Jean, they learn a model for their own professional success as well as feel her sense of humor, mutual respect and the worthiness of trust and loyalty.” When asked what you has learned most working with Page, Ferrell responded, without missing a beat, “Customer service and how to treat people with respect. She cares and she’s always cared for the community, the building and everyone that has ever walked through thedoors. Her heart is here and heart is hard to replace.” Every person I spoke with had many of the same things to say about Page. She’s a team player, exceptional mentor and works hard, but plays hard. She moves fast and puts everything into what shedoes. She fights for her team and on and on. There lies the heart and passion of Page, as seen by others. Ferrell also mentioned her creative thinking and experience is unmatched. “The ideas she comes up with are smart.” When she walks into the office and says, “I have an idea” she just rounds everyone up to sit around the table in order to work through a midnight idea by Page.
An example of this is during COVID-19.
When COVID-19 shutdown the world, Page stated “If there ever was a time to retire, that would have been the time, but the community needed us.
They needed a sense of normalcy in an abnormal scenario where stress was high. We modified our programs and events, according to CDC and the City of Isle of Palms guidelines and continued with many of the programs, starting from scratch to keep things moving.” The midnight idea that has become a fan favorite is the golf cart parade for Halloween. Holly Marsh, an island resident mentioned, “The Halloween golf cart parade is my absolute favorite event. Norma Jean and everyone at the Rec Center have taken Halloween to the next level. We are so fortunate to have a Rec Center so dedicated to its community.” Page felt it was her responsibility to be there for the community, so she stayed.
A prankster
Page loves Halloween. Through the years, she’s dressed up in costumes to the point where her own employeesdon’t recognize her. “She dressed up as an old hillbilly, ‘Emma Jean at Keenagers,’ walked over to me and started complaining about this and that. It was so real and so in character, I had no idea that it was Norma Jean. She stayed in character the whole day and even pranked the local fire department with her shenanigans,” said Laura Togami, who worked with NJ for eight years. In speaking with everyone, they all had a story to tell about a prank Page would occasionally set up to celebrate life’s milestones or to simply keep people sharp. “She instilled a fun working environment, but also made sure we worked hard.” Togami also mentioned “the Norma Jean chocolates.” She would ask my children, “whatdoes chocolate have in it?’ To which they responded, “Milk.” Page would then counter with “Yes and that’s why you can eat chocolate any time of the day.” Page worked hard but played hard to keep it light and carried a lot of smiles in her pocket to freely share.
A survivor
One year after the sudden death of her father, Page was diagnosed with breast cancer. In her true fashion, Page informed the oncologist to “get this thing out, Idon’t have time for it.”
Through treatment, she only missed a few days of work due to chemo and its aftermath.
Page continued to work and be there for her department. Her team, residents and city employees helped aid her quick recovery through encouragement as much as they could. They displayed pink in as many places as they could. Page explained, with tears in her eyes, “Their support is what pulled me through.” Ferrell revealed that “If someone didn’t know what she was going through, you would never know because she rarely showed it.” After her battle with cancer, Page’s mom passed suddenly and again, those very same people showed up again and again.
This community became her family.
Farewell
Page said, “I thought I’d wait to retire until I couldn’t walk through that frontdoor any longer. I’ve met a lot of great people and friends and through the years; they’ve been supportive and I consider them family. I can’t imaginedoing anything else but, it’s time.” After her mother’s transition three years ago Page realizes it’s time to move on and support her brother in closing out the estate. Retirement will be a challenge for PAge but she leaves behind a lot to be proud of.
She changed lives around her more than she realizes. Cathy Adams, who has worked with Page for 20 years mentioned, “Her passion for the residents of the Isle of Palms has led to the development of the wonderful recreation facility as we know it today.” Whether you know her as “BOB,” “NJ” or “Emma Jean,” “Norma Jean” and probably a few others not worth mentioning, people like her are few and far between. Page has poured her heart into her work everyday since the day she agreed to roll up her sleeves and nurture a tired building, buried in the trees.
The heart of the island is exactly what it feels like when you walk in and as Ferrell said, in the departure of her boss of 20 years, “heart is hard to replace.”
