Tommy Norris

Surrounded by family and close friends, Tommy B. Norris, 70, of San Marcos, Texas, passed away just after midnight on January 1, 2023, after a hard battle with pneumonia and other complicating factors.

Tommy was born on March 26, 1952, in Dallas, Texas, as the first child of Tom and Lynn Norris. During high school, he ran track, had a part-time job at a jewelry store, and participated in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

He showed remarkable ability running hurdles in high school, earning his varsity letter as a sophomore and, later, a full-ride track scholarship to Texas A&I University in Kingsville, Texas. He attended A&I for one year and then transferred to Southwest Texas State (SWT) University (now known as Texas State). His family is also grateful he transferred to SWT because that is where he met his better half, Gwen. And thank God, because marrying her was the best move he ever made.

Recalling his college experience, Tommy often said that he managed to cram four years of college into six. After five years, he took stock of the credits he had earned and realized he was closer to a Bachelor of Science in Education degree with an emphasis on art than any other degree. He took a sixth year to finish up the required course load and graduate.

Influenced by his earlier experience working at a jewelry store and the skills he learned in various art classes, he made wedding rings for himself and Gwen, as well as wedding rings and other jewelry for several friends. After college, he taught briefly at Hill Country Christian School. Later, he began a lawn care and landscaping business and was most proud of landscaping the San Marcos Hospital for almost 30 years, where staff and patients benefited from the beautifully arrayed flower beds year after year.

Though the son of a Jewish mother and very proud of his Jewish heritage, Tommy was a dedicated Christian and put his faith in Jesus Christ during an FCA event in high school. He would later graduate from Hill Country Bible college and serve for a time as a deacon at Hill Country Church. His family would note that they could never go anywhere or do anything without Tommy taking the time to pray for them. He was exceptionally generous and was always quick to offer hugs, encouragement, and love to family and friends.

Despite his gentle, kind, and encouraging nature, he had a somewhat physically imposing demeanor with a thick mustache and broad shoulders. His deceivingly fierce stature earned him the title of "most scary dad" by vote of his daughter's high school friends, an honor that he humorously took great pride in.

Tommy put his athletic ability and faith-inspired desire to help people to work by joining the San Marcos Fire Department soon after college. He achieved the rank of Captain and was extremely proud of his service to the City of San Marcos as a firefighter for a remarkable 37 years. He was responsible, both directly and indirectly, for saving many lives over the years. During his time as a firefighter, he mentored many young men and women both in and out of the fire service.

He also volunteered as a mentor to help those interested in gaining admission to a Service Academy and served as a local admissions representative for the Merchant Marine Academy. He was very proud of helping both his sons and a half dozen others enter the Naval Academy, West Point, and the Merchant Marine Academy. He was passionate about seeing young people achieve success in life and knew this path of education could do that.

Tommy was an avid outdoorsman who loved fishing and hunting. He sought to create memorable experiences for the family with numerous ski, hunting, and fishing trips throughout the years.

Tommy had several peculiarities that stayed with him his whole life. He almost always wore cowboy boots and couldn't pass by a boot store without buying a new pair. He smoked cigars and wore a knife on his belt everywhere he went. He was a world-class napper who could fall asleep in practically any environment. He would often answer the phone by saying, "This is me; is this you?"

At his core and more than anything else, Tommy loved God and lived his life with sincere faith in Jesus Christ. One of his favorite verses was John 3:16, which he often quoted: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever would believe in him would not perish, but have everlasting life."

Tommy is survived by his wife, Gwen, his kids, Jonathan Norris (Leyla), Joanna Underwood (Taylor), Joshua Norris (Abi), and Joy Jones (Robert), his grandchildren, Evan, Eli, and Ella Underwood, and his brother, Terry. His family is so grateful for Tommy's contagious laughter, sincere faith, and constant love.

A Celebration of life will be held on January 14th, 2023, at 10:00 am at Hill Country Church in San Marcos, Texas. Remembrances of Tommy can be sent to tommynorrismemories@gmail.com.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one or both of Tommy's favorite non-profit organizations: SOAR Arena Therapeutic Riding (founded & operated by Joy, Joanna, and Gwen Norris) https://soarriding.org/donate and International Fellowship of Christians and Jews https://help.ifcj.org/donate.