On July 23, 1990, The Patriot Ledger published the obituary of Irma U. (Thompson) Diggs, a highly respected educator, civic leader, and athlete who passed away on Friday at Norwood Hospital following a brief illness at the age of 75.
On July 23, 1990, The Patriot Ledger published the obituary of Irma U. (Thompson) Diggs, a highly respected educator, civic leader, and athlete who passed away on Friday at Norwood Hospital following a brief illness at the age of 75. Born in Norwood, Irma U. Diggs spent three decades shaping young minds as a beloved kindergarten teacher across the school systems of Norwood and Sharon before retiring at the age of 68. Beyond her professional career in education, she maintained active memberships in the Sharon Teachers Association and the National Teachers Association, and dedicated countless hours to youth programs as a longtime troop leader and council member for the Norwood Girl Scouts.
An exceptionally accomplished individual, Irma U. Diggs grew up in Medford, graduated from Medford High School in 1932, and went on to earn both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Tufts University, where her athletic prowess in field hockey and basketball recently earned her posthumous induction into the prestigious Tufts University Jumbo Club. Her extensive community and organizational involvement included serving as past national president of Northeasterners, Inc., a prominent charitable social organization, alongside memberships in the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and the Neponset Valley Tufts Club. A devoted member of the United Church of Norwood, she taught Sunday school and maintained deep personal ties to Martha’s Vineyard, where she had been a cherished summer resident for fifty years and a member of the Dukes County Historical Society.
She is survived by her devoted husband of many years, Henry W. Diggs; her two daughters, Judith Potter of Washington and Jacqueline Diggs of Framingham; her brother, Phillip Thompson of Boston; her sister, Bartelsa Thompson of West Medford; and two grandchildren. She was predeceased by her brother, Theodore A. Thompson. Funeral services were scheduled to be held at 3 p.m. at the United Church of Norwood, with burial following in Highland Cemetery. Visiting hours and a special memorial service conducted by the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority took place at the May Funeral Home at 85 Nichols Street. In lieu of flowers, the family requested that memorial donations be directed to the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown or the campership fund of the Patriot’s Trail Girl Scout Council in Boston.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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