Norma LaMoyne Bryant, 1930- 2024

Norma LaMoyne Bryant (Bowdry-Bergeron), 93 of La Conner, passed away Jan. 21, 2024. She was born Feb. 4, 1930, in Dallas, Texas, to Clifford and Ethel (Lilly) Bowdry. LaMoyne was preceded in death by her parents, sister Shirley Bowdry, husbands Al Bergeron and Joe Bryant, daughter Teresa Bergeron, son Gary Bergeron, and daughter-in-law Penny Bergeron. She is survived by sons Ronnie Bergeron of Austin, Texas, and Chip Bergeron of Mount Vernon, grandchildren Heather (Bergeron) Kendrick and Laura (Bergeron) Henderson; several great-grandchildren and multiple cousins in Texas, New York and California.

LaMoyne was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in 1947, married Al Bergeron, and had four children. She was active in her boys' elementary school, the PTA, and as a Scout Den Mother. She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi sorority and worked in the Gaston Ave. Baptist Church with the children's group. She did crafts and sold them in the Junior League fair at Dallas Fair Park each year. The family later joined the Episcopal Church. She made sure each of her boys took piano lessons from grade one. In the late 1950s she took Ronnie to see Liberace which changed his musical life. In the early 1960s, after Chip had shown an interest in playing a string instrument, she took him to see the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, which also changed his musical life leading to a performance and teaching career as a professional cellist.

LaMoyne volunteered with the Assistants League by visiting children at Dallas Children's Hospital and working in a thrift shop where the proceeds went to battered wives and their children.

After her three sons graduated from high school, LaMoyne went to North Texas State University herself and became a Montessori teacher. In 1978, she and Al went to Bogota, Colombia, to visit with Chip while he was performing with the National Symphony of Colombia. In her late 40s she and Al began square dancing and took many trips with their dance club. Two years after their divorce in 1990, she married Joe Bryant and moved to Houston, Texas. She encouraged him to square dance, again travelling to many places. She square danced for 35 years until she was 61, stopping due to a knee replacement and subsequent injury as it was a central part of her life.

Two years after Joe's death, in 2004, she moved to Plano, Texas, to be near Gary and her cousins in McKinney. She had bought a house and property in McKinney for Gary to rebuild for himself since he had worked as a contractor. After Gary's death, she moved to Washington State to be near Chip and his family.

A Remembrance Celebration of her life will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at the La Conner Retirement Inn at 204 N. First St.

Memorials may be made to St. Paul Episcopal Church in Mount Vernon or your favorite charity.