Norris 1923 ~ 2013

MR. WILLIAM ""BILL"" NORRIS of Warner, beloved husband of the late Lillian (Perrement) Norris, went to be with his Lord, Sunday, March 17, 2013. Dad passed away peacefully, surrounded by the comfort of his family, after Living and enjoying every moment of his 90 years.

Bill was born in Lethbridge, raised and schooled in New Dayton. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII, and then farmed at Wilson Siding. William and Lillian were married in Oregon in 1947, and spent 10 years in Cottage Grove, OR. Dad owned and operated a gravel truck, building and maintaining log roads. In 1956 the family returned to Alberta where Dad farmed and fed calves alongside his father Fred and brother Ivan, in the Warner and Skiff areas. Never retiring, Bill and son Larry worked together for 54 harvests.

Bill was active in his church and chairman of the church board for many years. He served as president of the Farmers Union of Alberta. Dad was also involved in minor hockey and the Lions Club. He was appointed by MLA Bob Bogle to the Alberta Agricultural Research Institute. Bill was the founding President of the Dryland Salinity Control Association, tirelessly working to promote methods to control Dryland Salinity. Dad was recognized for this work and awarded the LB Thompson Award by the Soil Conservation Council of Canada in 1988.

He enjoyed supporting the Warner Girls Hockey School and was regularly seen at local car shows proudly standing near the Plymouth he and Lillian purchased new in 1948.

Bill was very active. He loved to downhill ski and was looking forward to skiing on his 90th birthday, as he had with his family and friends on previous occasions. Papa loved spending time playing catch, water skiing, riding motor cycles, fishing, jumping on the trampoline and any assortment of activities that involved his grandkids. Each of the Norris Grandchildren learned to drive on the farm under Papas watchful eye.

Last summer in his 89th year he returned to the birthplace of his father in Boone, NC and attended his family's 79th reunion.

Warner people have already expressed that they have missed seeing Dad on his daily walks. During the past 30 years Warner residents have witnessed Bill walking the equivalent of 20,000 km or half way around the world.

Bill loved conversation; listening, exchanging ideas, asking questions and sharing stories. Bill is survived by his daughter Judy (Arlo) Neufeld, Lethbridge; his son Larry (Brenda Fleck), Warner and daughter Gayle (Kim) Prindle, Lethbridge; grandchildren Rhonda (Brian) Nicoll, Calgary, Jodie (Keith) Park, Lethbridge, Becky (Jason) Finell, Calgary, Scott (Rhonda) Norris, Lethbridge, Trevor (Kayla) Norris, Chetwynd BC., Jamie (Stewart) Kambeitz, Wildhorse AB., Sean Prindle, Lethbridge, and Robbie Prindle, Lethbridge; his great-grandchildren Alexis and Brayden Nicoll, Spencer and Hailey Park, William and Hazel Finell, Ali Norris, and Kinley Norris. Bill was predeceased by his wife Lillian; parents Fred and Margaret Norris; brother and sister in-law Ivan and Betty Norris; brothers in-law William and Stanley Perrement. Family and friends are invited to pay their respects between 7:00pm and 8:00pm on Thursday, March 21st, 2013 at Martin Brothers RIVERVIEW ChapeL | 610 - 4th Street South in Lethbridge. A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00pm on Friday, March 22nd at the Warner Evangelical Missionary Church in Warner, Alberta with Pastor Brian Magee. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Southern Alberta Bible Camp | Box 99 Lomond, AB. T0L 1G0 or Canadian Bible Society | 10 Carnforth Rd, Toronto, ON M4A 2S4.