Richard Norris

NORRIS, Richard "Dick" Kimball

Born January 2, 1936, in Malden MA to Donald Norris and Barbara(Kimball) Norris; died August 12, 2016 at The Inn at Fairview in Hudson, NH of complications resulting from Parkinson's Disease.

He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Celia Strickler, of Bradenton, FL, his sister, Margaret Woodside of Frisco, TX, his four daughters: Lisa Warren, of Braintree, MA; Jennifer Patterson of Acton, MA; Kristin Bibbo of Nashua, NH; Amy Hamilton, of Devens, MA; his two half-sisters, Jane Flint and Sue Welch; eight grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews and their families; and his two sweet cats, Penny Petunia and Guy Noir. He
was predeceased by both parents and his brother, Stephen Norris.

He was a graduate of Vermont Academy, Dartmouth College, and the Executive MBA program at Suffolk University. In addition, he served three years in the Navy. His career ran the gamut from sales for a family owned company to startup CFO of the Kurzweil Music Company to financial analyst for the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities.

He lived in Massachusetts for most of his life, but on retirement moved with Celia to Peaks Island, ME, where they turned their summer vacation cottage into a year round home. He loved life on the island, and volunteered as treasurer for a local food coop. He enjoyed fishing off the rocks on the back shore, although he rarely caught anything, and referred to it as "just rinsing bait." When Celia retired, they moved to Bradenton, FL, planning to spend several
months each year on Peaks, something that was eventually thwarted by the effects of the Parkinson's. While he could be quite a homebody at times, he also enjoyed traveling, from winter vacations on tropical islands to renting an apartment on the Amalfi coast, and driving the tortuous roads of the region, where he earned the name "Ricardo Tornante" from his fellow travelers.

Dick was truly loved by all wherever he went, and was recognized by his Greek fisherman's cap, which he wore everywhere and with everything. Whether it was selecting books for the residents of senior living facilities in Portland, ME and delivering them on the Portland Public Library bookmobile or dancing on stage at the Cook Theatre in Sarasota with other Parkinsonians from Parkinson Place and the Fuzion Dance Company (you can watch the performance at http://parkinsonplace.org/videos/events-at-parkinson-place/ ), or any of his other endeavors throughout his life.

His motto was "so many books, so little time" and he read whatever he could wherever he was. He especially enjoyed reading books on WW II history, classical music, printing, and suspense novels. As a volunteer for the library, he was able to reserve books before the library had even received them, and took pride in being the first one to read them. He loved classical music, especially Mozart, and loved most choral music. He enjoyed the theatre and subscribed to plays and concerts when he could. He had both a passion and an eye for photography, and often could be found in downtown Boston with his camera catching the early morning light. He also enjoyed boating, owning three different boats at various times, none for long enough.

There will not be a service, but all are welcome to attend a celebration of his life at the home of Kris and Steve Bibbo on Saturday, August 20, from 2-5 in the afternoon. Please bring any photos and stories of Dick you'd like to share. In addition, Celia will receive visitors at a date to be named later when she returns to Bradenton in October. In lieu of flowers, donations to Parkinson Place, 5969 Cattleridge Blvd., Suite 100, Sarasota, FL 34232, (www.parkinsonplace.org ) would be appreciated.