The Rotary Club of San Marino held a special meeting earlier this month at a unique location.
Club members flocked to the San Marino home of Lucille Norberg for the purpose of bestowing upon her an award acknowledging the 50-year resident for her work with the San Marino Motor Classic.
“Lucille, I’m very happy to present you with a distinguished service award,” said J.P. Mainguy, president of the Rotary Club of San Marino to a large audience camped out on Norberg’s spacious front porch.
“Lucille, you have been at the helm of the motor classic committee since its inception,” said Mainguy. “You have been our lead saleswoman and extraordinary public relations executive.” He also emphasized how Norberg has been the perennial leader in ticket sales for the annual fundraising event, personally sent out “save the date” cards to businesses beginning each January, and solicited sponsors. On the day of the event, she welcomed guests at the VIP tent, ensuring that reserved seats were properly assigned. Not too bad for someone who will turn 99 in September.
“I read and I study and work on keeping my mind sharp,” said Norberg during a recent phone conversation.
She has intentionally remained homebound for the duration of the pandemic except for quarterly visits to her doctor.
“Every time I go to his office I ask ‘why do you want to see me every quarter?’” Norberg said with a lively chuckle. “He says he wants to make sure nothing is going wrong and if it is, he wants to let me know before it goes too far. Then we have a good laugh.”
Norberg moved to San Marino in the ’70s and shortly thereafter became involved in the San Marino Women’s Club, serving several terms as its president. She didn’t join Rotary until 2006, but had been familiar with the service club for 40 years.
“I was always getting an invitation,” Norberg said. “Someone would call and say ‘we have a really good speaker this week’ or ‘we are having a special lunch,’” Norberg said. “Finally, I decided to join.”
She has mentored many new club members and remains active in many events and committees.
“The most astonishing thing was she created a Rotary member network party event,” said Mainguy. “She named it ‘Rotary On the Town’ and it still takes place twice a year.”
But the pandemic has put quite the crimp in her social calendar. She has heeded the advice of medical professionals who’ve said that COVID-19 is especially dangerous if contracted by those over the age of 60. To keep busy, Norberg has embarked on a major housecleaning project.
“I’m happy and I am enjoying being at home,” she said. “And I enjoy cleaning house.”
She still stays connected to Rotary and Rotarians, many of whom occasionally drop by for a chat.
“I love Rotary,” she declared. “It does a lot of good things in the community and you won’t meet nicer or more generous people.”
