Noroma Shannon, Mrs. Robert L. Shannon, died peacefully in her sleep on July 7, in Alpharetta, Ga. She was born Oct. 18, 1924, to Paul and Myrtle Walker in Minneapolis, Minn., where she completed her early education, graduating from South High School.

At the onset of World War II, she moved to San Diego, Calif., to live with her grandparents and attend college. There she soon met a young Navy ensign who became the love of her life and she would marry. Robert L. (Bob) Shannon Jr., stationed in San Diego, fell in love with Noroma, and they were married six weeks after their first meeting.

After Bob received his ship assignment in the South Pacific, Noroma moved to Boston, Mass. There, their first child Lee, was born in 1945.

When the war ended, the young family moved to Oak Ridge, and there they reared four children, Lee, Melinda, Becky (Rebecca), and John. Bob’s continued activity in the local Naval Reserve ultimately elevated him to lieutenant commander, which paralleled his rise to manager of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Technical Information Center (now the Office of Scientific and Technical Information). As TIC manager, he was also the U.S. liaison for the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency’s technical information program.

During the 1970s, Noroma would sometimes accompany Bob to annual IEA program reviews. One especially-enjoyed trip included visits to Paris, Brussels, and Vienna, which was considered their dream vacation together. 

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