Obituary
Tamara Renee Nordine, age 68 of Grand Forks, ND, died on Thursday, May 7, 2026 at Valley Senior Lining on Columbia in Grand Forks, ND.
Tammy Nordine loved life. You could see it in her eyes, hear it in her laugh and feel it in the joy she brought to the people around her. She loved time with her family and friends, time at the lake, cheering on her daughter and then grandchildren in their athletic and extracurricular endeavors, and consistently brightening the day of everybody she met.
Tamara Renee (Skari) Nordine was born on April 30, 1958 in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was there that she eventually met the love of her life, John Nordine. They were married in 1980. Tammy and John welcomed their daughter, Niki, in 1981 and along with her step-daughters, Becky and Casey, this young family embraced life and all it had to offer.
Professionally, Tammy worked as a daycare provider for many years, caring deeply for the children she looked after. Her house was filled with the sounds of kids playing, laughing and learning, and Tammy loved every minute of it. Later, Tammy went to work for Grand Forks Marble and Tile, then spent many years at Brian’s Flooring. She also helped out at John’s Upholstery Center, a successful company started with her husband that served the Grand Forks area for more than a decade.
In her free time, Tammy was a voracious reader (her preferred genre: romance novels), a fan of University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux Hockey and a quick-witted partner for anyone interested in verbal sparring. A playful nonconformist, she proudly supported the Green Bay Packers in a city full of Vikings fans and despite the good-natured objections of her loved ones, amassed a sizable collection of porcelain clown figurines. Tammy did things Tammy’s way, and we loved her for it.
Tammy is survived by her husband John Nordine Grand Forks, ND; sisters Sherry Burkholder (Marvin Johnson) and Debbie Stenvold, Grand Forks, ND; step daughters Becky (Jay) Mindeman, Grand Forks, ND; Casey (Steve) Gibson, Chocowinity, NC; grandchildren Alexandra Mindeman, Denver, CO; Tyler Gibosn, Minneapolis, MN; Cassidy Mindeman, Grand Forks, ND; and Lilly Gibson, Chocowinity, NC; as well as the nieces and nephews she loved; She was preceded in death by her daughter, Nicole (Nordine) Frane; her sisters Kim Powers and Kathy Leyendecker, and her parents Ray Skari and Darlene Harms.
Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 1:00 pm at the Norman Funeral Home in Grand Forks, ND.
Visitation will be one hour before service time in the funeral home.
