Toni Gorman

Our amazing mother passed away at the age of 62 after enduring over a decade of Parkinson’sdisease. She was an outstanding parent, loving daughter, devoted sister, and lifelong friend tomany.Born in Illinois to Marilyn Novak (née Bock), she was the fourth of six sisters. When she wasa toddler, her family moved to New Jersey where she spent the remainder of her formativeyears. It was there that her mom met and married her dad, Joseph Novak, who helped raiseher and with whom she had a special bond. After high school, Toni met her future husband,Mark Gorman, and followed him to Alaska for adventure and a change of scenery. While themarriage didn’t last, her love of the 49th state did, and she spent the rest of her life there.Toni was athletic and an avid sports fan. She started by playing basketball in her youth andcontinued by playing in adult leagues and adding other sports, such as softball andswimming, to her repertoire. She was never one to let personal setbacks deter her for long;despite asthma, a bad back, or even Parkinson’s, she remained flexible and would switchsports as needed, moving from basketball to running to flyball as she aged. She enjoyedwatching college basketball and professional football, particularly the Giants. She coached asmany of her children’s sports teams as she could and, when not coaching, was sure to nevermiss a game or meet. She liked being outdoors and spent countless hours running, hiking,biking, or skiing in the Alaska mountains, perhaps with friends and family, but always with adog.Toni worked in healthcare IT. After receiving her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, sheworked as a computer programmer for Providence Medical Center and the State of Alaska,but eventually she worked her way up to being the Director of Programming Services atANTHC. Many of her coworkers became close friends before she retired early due to healthreasons.Toni’s greatest focus was on her relationships with friends and family. She had many friendsfrom a variety of backgrounds and had a knack for keeping in touch despite time anddistance. Her family, however, always came first. She was a devoted sister and daughter,never missing her weekly phone calls with family back east. Above all, she was a proud momto Erik and Jamie, loving and accepting them for who they were. She was heavily involved intheir lives, knowing all their friends and interests, while still respecting their privacy andboundaries. From this, her kids never questioned her love or support for them. Her life’sdream of becoming a grandmother came true many times over the past several years,although her health didn’t allow her to experience that dream in the manner that she deserved.Toni is survived by her son, Erik (Hannah); daughter, Jamie (Ryan); four grandchildren (withtwo more expected later this year): Lochlan, Otto, Remi, and Lorelei; five sisters: Georgia(Paul) Meierdierck, Robin (Jerry) Thibault, Jackie Keene, Jolyn (Tom) Czerniecki, and Anna(Joseph) Zanki; as well as many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her momand dad; her birth father, Lou Poliquin; and her canine soulmate, Candy.Friends and family are invited to a Celebration of Life, which is planned to be held inAnchorage in mid-December 2024. To remain updated regarding the final details, please sendan email to familie.gorman@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Toni’s name to the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation or an animal supportcharity of your choice. The family would like to extend their gratitude to the staff at AspenCreek Senior Living, especially Meme and Pamela, for lovingly taking care of Toni in herfinal years.