Norma Jean Respass, a native of Long Acre Community in Beaufort County and graduate of Pantego (N.C.) High School, is best remembered as a top notch player on AC’s Varsity Girls Basketball and Volleyball teams 1963-67. She started every varsity basketball game for four years at the college and scored more than 1,000 points. She was team co-captain for two years and was named to the All-East Basketball Team,1966-67 and was named WRA Woman of the Year in 1971.

While at Atlantic Christian, she was a member of Delta Zeta sorority, vice president of the senior class and was named as an N.C. Teachers Scholarship recipient in 1966. She graduated from Atlantic Christian in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science degree in health and physical education. She began her career as a teacher and coach at the John A. Holmes High School in Edenton, N.C., 1973-74; and returned to alma mater, Pantego High School, 73-74, where she taught and coached girls basketball and had a 17-6 record.

Respass served as athletic director for the Washington, N.C. Recreation Department, 1974-75, and was a North Carolina Representative at the Special Olympics in Lansing, Mich., 1975. She served as a teacher and coach at the D.H. Conley High School in Pitt County, 1976-80. She was named Coach of the Year in volleyball, 1977-79, and Coach of the Year in basketball, 1977-78, and 1979.

She began a sales career with Equitable Life Assurance Co. in St. Petersburg, Fla. in 1980, and later served as an advertising sales representative for Devery Enterprise. She returned to her native Beaufort County in 1987 and joined the faculty of John A. Wilkinson High School in Belhaven where she served as a teacher and varsity coach for girls basketball and softball. She served as head basketball coach for Region 1, 1988 Summer Games Sports Festival. She is a member of the Acre Chapel Christian Church in Plymouth, N.C.