Robert Norris

Resident of Los Gatos

Robert “Bob” Norris, 88, died Saturday, June 1, following a short illness. He was born on May 13th, 1931, in Roseau, Minnesota to Mr. and Mrs. G. Robert Norris of Williams, MN. He was raised in the town of Williams near the Canadian border where his father was the editor and publisher of the local paper, The Northern Light. “Bobby” graduated in 1949 from Williams Consolidated High School.

From 1949 through 1951 “Bob” attended Bemidji State Teachers College when he was called into the Navy, serving the majority of his time in Norman, OK where he saw neither seas nor shores. He ended his nautical career as editor of the station newspaper.

Discharged at the end of the Korean War, he followed his parents to California. He enrolled at San Jose State College, completing his degree in journalism in 1955 after interning with the Sunnyvale Standard. After a short time with the Hayward Daily Review, he moved to the San Jose Mercury News where he was a writer and research manager in the Public Relations Department.

In 1962 he married the love of his life, Margaret (Mccarthy) of St. Paul, MN. He became a devoted father, and they were soon was raising three children.

As the Mercury transitioned to computers, Norris, who was known for being inquisitive and good at math, transferred to the newspaper’s new data processing department as a programmer-analyst. He retired from the Mercury News Information Systems in 1993 as a database manager.

Bob is survived by his two sons and their families: John R. Norris (Maura Marangoni) of Albany, OR and Michael C. Norris (Chai Sue Lee) of Santa Clara, CA., as well as four grandchildren. Predeceased by his wife Margaret Mccarthy Norris who passed away after a long term illness in 2019 and a daughter, Mary Norris, who died unexpectedly in 2004.

Bob will be remembered as a devoted and loving husband and father - known for his curiosity, diversity of interests, photography, art, and a great sense of humor.

Services will be held at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Los Gatos, CA on August 1, 2019 at 10 am.