Lillian Clarice Jones Norris passed away peacefully on January 9, 2023 at Haven Hospice in Lake City, FL. surrounded by her family. Lillian was the wife of the late Dr. Wade B. Norris, Sr. and the mother of Dr. W. Benjamin Norris, Jr. and Mary Beth Norris Windham.

Lillian was a native of Franklin, N.C. and if you were blessed to be around when she reminisced about it, you could almost feel the cool mountain breeze because her memories were so heartfelt. She graduated from Franklin High School and moved to Akron, Ohio to further her education at Hammel Business School. Upon returning to Franklin to begin work, she met the young Wade B. Norris who was also working there. The two soon married and they joyfully supported each other in life until his death in July of 1999. Life was good and Hamilton County was blessed when he chose to move to Jasper to begin his dental practice in 1959. Lillian quickly became active in the community and remained so until well into her early nineties when her health began to slow her down a bit. She was a member of the Jasper Women's Club as well as a longtime member of the Hospital Pink Ladies Auxiliary throughout its existence. Lillian served on the Board of Directors for the North Florida Mental Health Board and the American Cancer Society. In her spare time, she enjoyed doing crossword puzzles and playing bridge. Surprisingly in a late in life twist, she followed her true passion of writing and began writing articles and accompanied those articles with her own photography for The Jasper News. This soon led to her own column "Norris Notes" which appeared weekly for many years. She covered a variety of subjects and her true ability to write was noticed and she reached her ultimate goal of becoming Editor of The Jasper News, a position she held for a number of years.

Lillian was always a gentle and kind lady and she truly enjoyed visiting with family and friends. Her friends were true to her long after she stopped driving and it was a fact that if she was invited, she was going to accept the invitation and be ready even on short notice usually before the g in go left the lips of the person issuing the invitation. Lillian was never prideful for she felt truly blessed. She honored her late husband Wade by keeping his memory alive and she was indeed proud of the accomplishments of both of her children and grandchildren. If you were blessed to be her friend, she honored you as well until her final days because she was passionate about walking down memory lane and recalling all of the good times that were shared in Jasper and the many family trips back to Franklin with their new and old friends.

Lillian was preceded in death by her husband of 43 years, Dr. Wade B. Norris, Sr., infant daughter Cathy Jo, and a sister Martha Gibson.

She is survived by her son, Dr. W. Benjamin Norris, Jr. and his wife Leigh Ann; her daughter, Mary Beth Windham; her grandchildren, Kaleb Windham (Rachel), Jordan Windham, Wade Benjamin "Trey" Norris, III, and Kaleigh Matson (Andrew); and great grandchildren, Kason and Jensen Windham.

Her life was celebrated on Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at the First Presbyterian Church in Jasper, FL. with Mr. Ryan Mitchell officiating. Interment followed at Evergreen Cemetery in Jasper, FL.

Memorial contributions may be made In Memory of Lillian Norris to First Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 329, Jasper, FL. 32052 or to Haven Hospice 4200 NW 90 ^th Blvd, Gainesville, FL. 32606.

Ninety-five is but a blink of the eye in eternity but it is a blessed accomplishment on this earth and Lillian did "Life" well and has now gone to join her beloved Wade but in the words of Theodore Geisel, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."