Norman Norris

A driven, hardworking, and honorable man who was well-liked by everyone he met, Norman Norris made the most of the days he was given. He was content in whatever life brought and was forever unconcerned about what he did or didt have. Norm worked hard, but he took the time to enjoy life, too, as he was a man of many interests. He was a loving husband and devoted father, however, he just may have argued that nothing was better than becoming a grandfather and great-grandfather later in life. Although Norm accomplished so much of which to be proud, there was nothing that made him more proud than witnessing his family tree blossom to include numerous branches of loved ones. He will never be forgotten. During the first half of the 1940s, the eyes of our nation were focused overseas as WWII raged on throughout Europe. Those who remained stateside became familiar with rationing on common goods and manufacturing that was focused on supporting the war effort. There was dancing in the streets when victory was declared for America and our Allies in late summer 1945, which sent countless young servicemen back home to resume the lives they set aside for a time. It was just after this historic day that Herman and Mary (Tobin) Norris were pleased to announce the birth of the baby boy they named Norman Dale on August 26, 1946. He was the fourth of seven children in his family and was raised in Muskegon, Michigan, alongside his brother, Phillip, and his sisters, Karen, Judy, Pat, Sandy, and Peggy. Right from the start, Norm was a bustle of activity. They moved around a bit on the East side of Muskegon, and Norm was a bit of a wild child and a troublemaker who found his fair share of mischief including the time he ate all of his sisters Girl Scout cookies before she was able to sell them! His father was unable to work a steady job since he was disabled, which meant that his mother often worked two jobs to make ends meet. Finances were always tight for the Norris family. As a teen, Norm began hanging around with a rough crowd, and he found he liked to party a bit. Since school was never really his thing, he did leave school after the 10th grade and started working to support the family. This established a strong work ethic within Norm that followed him for the rest of his life. New and exciting changes were in store for Norm when he met the young woman of his dreams. Her name was Connie Armolt, and they met while on a double date with Norms buddy, Jim Busard, and her friend, Rose. That date led to more dates, and they soon found themselves deeply in love. With a desire to make a life together, Norman and Connie were married on May 8, 1965, after dating for a few years. Together he and his wife were thrilled to become parents to three amazing children including Julie in 1965, Norman in 1966, and Christopher in 1969. The Norris family started out in a small apartment near the corner of Wood Street and Apple Avenue They moved around a bit before settling in a home in Twin Lake, which is where the kids spent most of their childhood. Norman loved spending time with his family, and they made sure there was plenty of fun, too. There were several camping trips, and Norm especially liked swimming in Twin Lake with his kids. As a family they loved traveling to Tennessee to places like Nashville, Gatlinburg, Graceland, the Grand Ole Opry, and Dollywood. To support his family, Norm worked several different jobs before finding the career he really liked as a garbage man. This job gave him the opportunity to be outdoors, and he also loved driving the truck and taking great care of the people on his route. Over the years, Norm worked for various different companies including Laidlaw, Sunset, and Waste Management just to name a few since through the years as the companies changed hands a few times. Norm spent over 40 years in his career, retiring when his health left him unable to work any longer in 2009. Over the years Norm was a man of many interests. He was active throughout most of his life as he played on several softball teams including Ernies Auto sales, Robinhood Muffler, and Strohs Beer. During the summers he often turned the trips he took out of town for tournaments into a family camping trip as well. Norm also loved deer hunting, and there were annual trips up to Kalkaska and Hesperia with his relatives for deer camp. Also in maintaining his active lifestyle, Norm was on numerous bowling leagues at Bob Hi Lanes and Sherman Bowling Alley among others, only stopping playing recently when his health no longer allowed. For years, Norm liked golfing with his best friend, Homer Norton. He was a country music fan, especially when it came to classic country like Willie Nelson and Ray Price. Norm was a history buff who enjoyed watching old Westerns on television. In addition, he was a Detroit Lions fan and was happy to see the Detroit Tigers starting getting better in the last few years. Norm loved being a grandfather, and he was an integral part of raising his grandson, James, guiding him as if James was his own son. He especially looked forward to spending holidays with his family as well as hosting cookouts and barbecues. With a zest for life that was contagious, Norman Norris was an extraordinary man to know and love. He worked hard, but he played hard, too, and he took whatever came his way in stride. Norms devotion to his family was unmatched, and his heart was genuine, gracious, and always willing to love without condition. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered. Norman Dale Norris died on Monday, September 21, 2015. Normas family includes his wife, Connie; son, Norman (Tracey) Norris of Whitehall; daughter, Julie (Jason) Cooper of Muskegon; grandchildren, James, Cody, Sidney, Jacob, Dustin, Derek and Jessica; great grandchildren, Atlas, Junior and Amos; siblings, Philip Norris, Karen Gokey, Pat (Ted) Musk, Sandy (Darryl) Thompson, Judy (Larry) Glovish, Peggy West. Norm was preceded in death his son, Christopher; brother, Norman; and sister, Catherine Jones. A Memorial Gathering celebrating Norman's life will be held Saturday, September 26, 2015, 2:00-5:00 p.m. at Clock's Sunset Celebrations with a time of sharing at 3:00 p.m. Memorials can be made to Harbor Hospice. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book. Clock's Sunset Celebrations - Fruitport.