Norma Elizabeth Haag

Norma Elizabeth Haag died on May 5, 2022 at the age of 97. The 1942 McKinley High School yearbook used the letters MCK to describe every senior, and had this caption next to Norma's photo: Manages to be irresistible; Cares for sporty clothes; Known as Norma. It was an apt description; one she maintained her entire life. Standing at a statuesque 5' 10" in her twenties, she obtained a part-time position modeling mink, ermine and fox stoles for a furrier in downtown Canton. The fur she ultimately earned from modeling cost $900 in 1945, which is the equivalent of $14,000 in today's dollars. That she would spend that much on a fur coat would surprise no one who knew her. She also was a big fan of Canton's famous stores: Stern and Mann's and the Parisian, spending countless hours in each, looking for just the right ensemble. She was the only child of Norman "Lefty" Hoehn, a hard-boiled, cigar smoking, whiskey-drinking steel worker, and Emma Hoehn, a spry, spirited, self-educated woman, who read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica multiple times to overcome her 8th grade education. After a short stint at Kent State University, she returned to Canton and graduated from the Canton Actual Business College. When she later claimed to have a college degree, she would be chided that a six-month course in typing and shorthand wasn't exactly the same thing as graduating from Case Western Reserve University. However, the year at Kent State proved to be significant, in that her roommate would arrange a blind date for Norma with her roommate's cousin, the man that she would later marry: Charles "Chick" Haag. They were married 55 years, until his death in 2000. Chick was a farm boy from East Sparta, Ohio, who graduated from Kent State in 1950 thanks to WWII, the draft, and the GI Bill—and who managed the IT department at the Timken Company until his retirement in 1984. His unpretentious nature and style were in stark contrast to hers, but it's often said that 'opposites attract.' Norma was an avid reader and historian, with her primary interest being the life and career of Winston Churchill. She read over 50 books on the man who she said "saved England and the free world." One of her favorite memories was her visit to both Churchill's war rooms in London and to Chartwell, his residence in the English countryside. She was a fan of the theater and classical music, including the Canal Fulton Summer Theater, the Players Guild, and the Canton Symphony. She also adored the singer Tony Bennett, often threatening to leave her husband for Mr. Bennett if Chick didn't "straighten up and fly right." Her cooking skills were akin to those of Lisa Douglas' in the 60's sitcom "Green Acres," but she always managed to look fetching while serving food that was barely edible. In 2010, she was placed on 'Thanksgiving Dinner Probation' by her family, and later permanently banned from preparing that November meal. Norma's biting sarcasm, caustic commentary and acerbic wit never left her, even during the last years of her life. She was preceded in death by her husband Chick and her dachshund Hoagie, but is survived by her son Andy and his partner Lou Ann Baxter of Canton, who both cared for her at their home during her final days (with the able and caring assistance of Crossroads Hospice); grandson Andrew, his wife Jocelyn, great grandson Sebastian of Cleveland; granddaughter Ellen and her husband Jim, also of Cleveland; and of course, Tony Bennett, of New York City. At her request, services are classy, but private. Donations in her memory can be made to Friends of Stark Parks: https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/FriendsofStarkParks_1/paytribute.html or to Friends of Stark Parks, 5300 Tyner Street NW, Canton, Ohio 44708, Attn: Mary Grueber.