Anita Norton Blackman

Anita Norton Blackman died peacefully at the Apex home of her daughter, Larisa Gilmore, after a brief illness, on May 29, 2017. She was born on August 14, 1937 in Jefferson County, New York. Anita held an MS degree from the State University of New York, Oneonta. She taught Home Ec and Life Skills in public schools in New York and Florida for 42 years and  was also a child care trainer for the state of Florida. She retired to Raleigh, NC in 2004, returned to Florida in 2016 for two years before returning to the Raleigh area in March. In Raleigh, she belonged to the Exchange Club and Garden Club and continued her long-running work with Project Linus and a women’s abuse center. She attended Millbrook Methodist Church. Anita is survived by a son, Gary James Blackman (Sandi) of New Port Richey, Florida, Anita Lynn Prado of Rockledge, Florida and Larisa Jean Gilmore (David Erdman) of Apex, North Carolina. Surviving grandchildren include Gary Blackman II (Jen), Geoffrey Blackman (Meredith), Tara Blackman, Isabel Prado, Adrianna Prado, Foster Gilmore, Erik Erdman, and Seth Erdman. Anita is also survived by great grandchildren Hannah, Hailey, Hunter, Jordyn, and Justyne. Also surviving her are sister, Gay Norton Edelman, Red Bank, NJ; brothers, Lyle Norton, Nassau, NY and Bruce Norton, Morris, NY. Arrangements are by Bryan-Lee Funeral Home in Raleigh on Saturday, June 3, with visitation at 10:30 am and services at 11:30 am. Interment at Oakwood Cemetery will immediately follow. To those who wish to make donations, she suggests the ALS Foundation and the Multiple Sclerosis Society.