Mary M. Norris
Norwich — Mary M. Norris passed away June 25, 2020. She was born Mary M. MacKay, to Elizabeth Connor MacKay (born Dublin, Ireland) and Kenneth MacKay (born Cheshire, England) June 18, 1945. Mary was born in Altrincham, a small town not far from Manchester, England. Mary was the younger sister of her siblings, Gordon MacKay, and Barbara MacKay-Klein, who both predeceased her.
As a young girl, Mary attended school at Navigation Road School and Sale Grammar School for Girls. Mary loved to visit her “hometown” and would fondly recall her younger years growing up in post-war England, and the joy of going to the local movie theatre to see shows as a child.
Tragically, when Mary was 6 years old, her mother died, leaving Mary alone with her father Kenneth MacKay. In 1956, Mary MacKay, only 11 years old, and her father Kenneth, left England aboard the ship, Queen Mary, making the trans-Atlantic journey to Baltimore, Md., in order to join her older sister Barbara, who had previously immigrated to the United States.
A few years later, Mary and her father moved to East Hampton, Long Island where she attended East Hampton High School graduating in 1962. Following graduation from high school, Mary took her first job at Sag Harbor Industries, where she briefly worked until moving to Battle Creek, Michigan where she married her husband Charles C. Norris III “Chuck,” who was active duty in the Navy.
Mary and Chuck Norris lived in North Chicago, Ill., while he attended Navy Electronics School. In the first of what would be many military moves, the family was assigned to Virginia Beach, Va., where they welcomed the birth of their son Charles K. Norris in 1964. Following another transfer to the Naval facility in Newport, R.I., Mary and her family returned to Virginia Beach, Va. where they welcomed their second child, a daughter Amy Elizabeth Norris-Desrosier in 1968.
Following her husband’s return from Vietnam in 1972, Mary and her family made their last move as a military family, to Norwich. Immediately upon arriving in Norwich, the family established deep roots that remain to this day.
Mary was always involved in civic groups, church and community theatre. Mary also loved music, and would never miss a chance to see one of her favorite singers such as Paul Anka, Frankie Valli or one of the other similar stars of the era she grew up in.
It was probably the love of movies, singers and shows that prompted Mary’s involvement in community theatre. When first moving to Norwich, Mary became involved in multiple theater groups. As the years went by, Mary participated in community theatre productions as both an actress and director. In the 1970s, 80s and 90s, she won numerous awards for her involvement in local productions of shows such as “Guys and Dolls,” “Sweet Charity” and many others.
Mary shared the love of theatre with many young people when she spent a number of years as the drama coach at Montville High School. Mary was extremely proud of the awards received by the school for shows such as “Grease” and “West Side Story” during her tenure as drama coach.
Mary was proud of her English heritage, and her family. She loved to travel and enjoyed visiting her English relatives who had also immigrated all over the globe from Seattle, Wash. to South Africa, and many places in between.
During her life, Mary was an active member in Christ Episcopal Church in Norwich, and more recently Preston City Congregational Church, singing in the choir, and even utilizing her theatre skills staging shows in order to raise money for the church.
Mary is survived by her husband of 57 years, Charles C. Norris III “Chuck,” her son Charles K. Norris “Chuck” of Norwich; and daughter Amy Elizabeth Norris-Desrosier of Guilford. Mary also leaves behind the greatest joy of her life, her grandchildren, Jacqueline Thurber of Reading, Pa., Jamie Desrosier of Longmont, Colo., Alexander Desrosier of Guilford, and Charles Kenneth Norris Jr. of Norwich; and great-grandchildren, twins Calvin Thurber and Amelia Thurber.
The family invites all friends to join them at 10 a.m. July 2, at Maplewood Cemetery in Norwich for a graveside service.