Nora was born and raised in Swansboro, N.C. She began her career with DoD at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. With a Computer Science degree, she was also employed by the Navy, Headquarters Marine Corps, Installations and Logistics in Arlington, Va.; the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) in Richmond, Va.; and U.S. Army Europe in Heidelberg, Germany, with duties that included being the liaison between the European Command and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). 

Back in the states, Nora was the Director of a DLA Center on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. After 38 years as a DoD civil servant, Nora retired to Colorado Springs, Colo. Shortly thereafter, Nora enjoyed a short stint with the David Glass Technology Center within the Headquarters of Walmart in Bentonville, Ark.

She enjoys downhill skiing, cycling and is a Professional Association of Diving Instructors-certified SCUBA diver. Nora became a member of MOAA in April 2019 and then became the Surviving Spouse Liaison for the Pikes Peak Chapter in Colorado Springs. She currently serves in that role for the Green Valley Chapter in Green Valley, Ariz.