Roanoke lost a dedicated citizen, former city council candidate and beloved activist on behalf of so many of our residents and city employees.
I only knew Angela Norman, first from her appearances at city council meetings, and then as a two time candidate for Roanoke City Council.
Under the reign of former city manager Darlene Burcham, many, if not most, city employees felt intimidated and threatened to speak out vocally about cities issues and or things that concerned them about their employment with the city. Not so for Angela Norman, she often appeared before council concerning issues of employment, being a voice for others who feared such speaking out.
This is why I admired her for her tenacity and perseverance. Having run for city council twice takes a tremendous amount of energy and dedication. It is one of the most challenging and grueling things any person will ever do in their lifetime to put themselves in the lime light of running for a public office.
Angela had 29 years of employment with the city. I had not seen her in years and was not aware she will ill, she looked far younger than her 61 years at passing and her death came as a real shock and sadness for so many of us who last knew her though her campaigning days.
My thought and prayers go out to her family and friends and they should know she will be greatly missed by many.
E. Duane Howard, Roanoke
