Roger J. Norris, Sr. of Troy, Tennessee and the Clayton community died June 4, 2020 one day before his 82nd birthday. Roger was a character that was loved by many. He was born June 5, 1938 in Wayne, Michigan, and grew up in Nankin Township, Michigan to the late Hugh Boniface Norris and Marjorie May (Burch) Norris. He was one of four brothers and was arguably the most handsome and smartest. He would want you to know that and he would laugh with you. But it really was true. To us.
He served in the United States Army as a Military Policeman Rank 4, was the Lieutenant of the City of Plymouth, Michigan Fire Department. He retired after 24 years of service from the Northwest Correctional Complex. Roger served many functions at the prison, mainly as it's Fire Safety Officer. He loved every day working there and dressed in his uniform with pride.
Roger led a long and wandering life. He traveled just enough to find his home, here in Troy, Tennessee with his beloved wife, Marie. He put down roots here, built a little house in the country, joined Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and is semi-famous in town for his sense of humor, his book smart genius and his memory of details related to anything from his childhood to the Civil War and all of its battles to historical movies or books he had read and just needed you to know, too.
He loved and was very proud of all his children. He was proud of his first born and namesake, Roger, Jr. and loved sharing tales of bow hunting or tracking deer with him as a child. His daughter, Janet, or Janie as he always called her, was his twin. They shared dark hair and beautiful brown eyes and as he said- he was fascinated to have a daughter. Katie was his favorite child but I just get to say that because I am writing his obituary. He loved that I always, until his last days, called him Daddy. And sometimes he was my tiny little superhero coming to my rescue. Every child loves that in a dad. He loved his stepson Johnny like his own and appreciated all the care and time he got to spend with him as a son and a neighbor. He also loved his stepdaughter, Regina, like his own and was thankful for her constant, loving, and attentive devotion to him and Marie.
Another person he specifically loved was Allison Aumiller. Allison has cared for Roger and Marie, recently, more than anyone else. Every delicious meal was appreciated by Roger and to be honest he was impressed with her. He would brag about how he was eating like a king to anyone who would listen.
Roger's greatest and most beloved person, however, was his bride Marie, whom he married on March 27, 1978. Roger called Marie his bride all the years of their marriage. He thought that she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen, and he said that almost every day. To whomever would listen. She would walk away and he would say out loud, "Isn't she pretty?'. He loved walking with her to the kissing tree down their road in the evenings. He loved every country meal they had together and would talk about the ham or beans or cornbread they would make together. He loved talking with her. He most of all loved impressing Marie. It started when he asked her out for breakfast and ordered her entire meal. Marie, an amazing independent woman, was not sure if she liked that or not but she was so impressed she stuck it out. That carried on the rest of their marriage, if he could get her amazed at something he said or did he would feel like a king. If there were any two people who lived to love each other it is Roger and Marie. Everyone deserves a love story like theirs.
Roger is survived by a large, loving family. First, again, he leaves his beloved Martha Marie Lancaster Norris, Roger & Lori Norris, Janet (Norris) & David Slavin, Katie (Norris) and Jason Blazek, Johnny & Allison McBride and Regina (McBride) & Billy Martin. Grandchildren Travis Norris, Benjamen Vaughn, Danny Norris, Madison Slavin, Casey Workman, Gabe Vaughn, Mallory Slavin, Molly Vaughn, Jack Slavin, Makenzie Blazek, Karlie Blazek, Jason Norfleet, Tammy Wynn, John Wesley McBride, Anna McBride and Tiffany Vanslambrouck. Great grandchildren, Levi Norris – who was born the day before Roger passed, Lucas Reed, Gracie Gieser, Louie Hulet, Layne Wynn. And great great grandchild Sylias Hulet. He was proceeded in death by his great grandson Sky Hulet, his brothers Hugh Richard Norris and Randall Wade Norris.
Roger will be missed. We will miss laughter, his long stories, his forty-five-minute phone calls, the way he licked his moustache when he was thinking of something, they way he had to have his coffee first thing every morning. Most of all we will just miss him.

Funeral services will be conducted 11:00 a.m. Saturday in the chapel of Edmaiston Mosley Funeral Home. Father Joey Kaump will officiate. Burial will follow in Antioch Cemetery near Hornbeak.

Visitation will be held at Edmaiston Mosley Funeral Home beginning at 9:00 a.m. Saturday. A rosary will be held beginning at 10:30 a.m.

Edmaiston Mosley Funeral Home

731-885-1033