Obituary of Norma Mae Pancoast

Norma Mae Pancoast, 93, of Erma, died on Thursday January 1, 2009 at Eastern Shore Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. Mrs. Pancoast was born March 29, 1915 to Eva L. (Washburn) and charles F. Leiby in Wildwood, after the death of her parents she along with her brother and sister were raised by their grandparents, Roseanna (Mole) and Wilbur H. Washburn also of Wildwood. She attended both grade school and high school in Wildwood and lived her 93 years in Cape May County. In June 1937 she married the love of her life, Wilmur Allyn Pancoast, and over the next 13 years together they had 3 daughters, Beverly, Alice and Eleanor. The family lived in the Wildwoods until 1950 when they moved, a few miles away, to Rio Grande. Besides being a wonderful wife and mother, Mrs. Pancoast helped her husband for many years with his Gulf Gas Station located next to the Tom Cat Restaurant in Wildwood, and then helped build Pancoast Auto & Lawn Mower Repair business in Rio Grande. Together she and her husband later turned a woodworking hobby into a small part-time business, making plant stands, children's benches and hanging baskets. Through the kindness of her heart, over the years, she was known to give drinking water and lilacs to people sitting in summer bumper to bumper traffic, that were coming down the shore for a visit. She enjoyed family drive, fishing, target shooting, riding the tandem bike with her hubby, playing a little golf (yes she did get a hole-in-one), knitting, bowling, playing cards, but most of all she loved spending time with her family, grandchildren and close friends. Surviving members of her family include her loving and caring daughter Alice Lynne Devlin and son-in-law Patrick William Devlin of Cape May, her daughter Eleanor Rose Koons of Sullivan, ME and son-in-law William Wallace Martin of Williamsburg, VA; grandson, Allyn Patrick Devlin and wife Judi of Cape May; granddaughter, Tammy Lynne Devlin and partner JulesLambert of Lutherville, MD: grandson, John Allyn Martin of Williamsburg, VA; granddaughter, Kimberly Ann (Martin) Cakal and husband Mehmet of High Point, NC; grandson William Wallace Martin II of Norfolk, VA; and grandson, Justin Allyn Koons of Sullivan, ME; great-grandchildren, Ercan and Cihan Cakal of High Point, NC, Megan Martin of Richmond, VA and Tyler Noel Martin of Lancaster, VA, nieces, Eva Elaine (Penkethman) Gardiner and husband Charles of Ashburnham, MA and Gloria (Leiby) Richmond and husband Frank; nephews Charles F. Leiby and wife Barbara of Brigantine, Arthur P. Leiby of Atco, and Theodore E. Pancoast of Somers Point; sister-in-law Claire Pancoast of Somers Point; great-grand dogs Lucy and Bailey, and many other dear relatives and friends; especially life long family friend Jim Curran of Wildwood Crest. Mrs. Pancoast was preceded in death by her life-long pal and loving husband, Wilmur Allyn Pancoast (1987), her loving daughter, Beverly Ann (Pancoast) Martin (2006) her sister Rosalie M. Penkethman (2001), her brother Charles F. Leiby (1988) and her nephew Robert H. Penkeathman (1995)