Obituary of William Norris

William Norris died peacefully at home on September 19th, 2016. He was born to Ross Norris and Mary Rogers in Cleveland, Ohio on December 22, 1933, eventually relocating to Santa Cruz. He graduated from Santa Cruz High School in 1952 before joining the Army. Upon returning from Korea he entered college and earned an MS in Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute. Soon after, he began teaching middle school where he found the act of helping children to be immensely fulfilling. He pursued this path and received a Master Degree in Psychology from San Jose State University and went on to work as a School Psychologist with the Santa Cruz County Office of Education for approximately 25 years, where he helped countless children. Upon retiring, he moved to Mountain Ranch, CA with his wife Nancy. Even during his retirement he continued to help children as a school psychologist and volunteer in Amador County. Following the death of his wife in 2009, he relocated to Santa Cruz to be near his son and his family. Bill will be remembered as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend to many. He was a caring person who lived by his values. He passed these values on to his children, grandchildren, family and friends who will carry them forward. Bill is survived by his son Nathan, his daughter in law Rachelle, and his granddaughters Ilana and Jessica. A "Celebration of Life" will be held at Santa Cruz Memorial, 1927 Ocean Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060 on Friday, December 16th beginning at 3:00pm. Please come share your experiences and thoughts regarding Bills life.