Mrs. Gilbert
Martha Norris Gilbert, who led the first Virginia agency that focused on children and was involved in expanding pre-school programming in public school divisions across the state, has died.
As she once put it, âEvery child born in America should have an even start, which includes a family, a home, clothes to wear, food to eat and the opportunity for optimal development.â
Mrs. Gilbert, who also mentored cancer patients during her own 20-year battle with the disease, died on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020. She was 82.
âMy sister had two roles in life,â said her brother, Dr. James E.C. Norris, a plastic surgeon in New York. âShe was a fierce advocate for children and an adviser to cancer survivors. She excelled in both.â
Martha Norris Gilbert, Virginiaâs chief advocate for children, who also left a lasting legacy at one of Richmondâs foremost performing arts organizations, died this month. She was 82.
Gilbert was the director of Virginiaâs Department for Children from 1982 to 1991. Through her work, Virginia offered child care assistance to families making less than the median income and expanded preschool options for those at risk. Her work at the state level was an extension of a lifetime dedicated to helping children, particularly those living in poverty or without a stable home life.
âWhat is exciting about this job is I get images of the children I have known as I work on the different issues,â she told the Times-Dispatch in 1991. âI have personally known pregnant teenagers. I have known the fear they have had.â