Dr. Larry B. Norris

A Legacy Well Remembered

Dr. Larry B. Norris
May 20, 1945 - November 17, 2024

Timeline

1969-1971

Began his journey at FTCC (then FTI) as an English instructor

1971-1981

Chairman of the English Department

1981-1982

Associate Dean of Instruction for General Education

1982-1986

Dean of Curriculum instruction

1986-1997

Appointed Vice President for Academic Affairs

1997-2007

Served as President of FTCC

2007-2024

Retirement. Joined in 2012 by Esther, and in 2014 by Andrew.

In His Own Words

"FTCC will remain true to its work force development mission, continue as a pioneer in the application of technology, guard the open door and serve our citizens to the best of our collective abilities. We will indeed make the best even better."

- Dr. Larry B. Norris, Presidential Inauguration, 1997
"How was class today, son?"

- Dr. Larry B. Norris, 2024

A Vision for Excellence

Dr. Norris dedicated nearly four decades to advancing education and workforce development. His leadership transformed FTCC through technological innovation while maintaining its core mission of serving the community.

Ancestry

Dr. Norris was an early and avid user of genealogy web sites, and traced his ancestry back to before the Norman invasion of England.

Norris Family Tree

Retirement Years

In his retirement years, Dr. Norris found joy in the simple pleasures of life: tending to his garden, sharing daily moments with his beloved dog Esther, and sharing his love of British mysteries and cooking with his son Andrew.

Remembrance

As a son trying to find the right words to remember his father, the best words I can use are those he wrote in 1988 to remember his own father, Fletcher Norris:

THANKSGIVINGS

Time for each of us is a precious gift, never guaranteed and easily lost in the process of living. Too often we set our eyes towards goals, frantically work toward the accomplishment, but fail to savor the process. Every word and action will have a direct consequence for good or bad. The saddest of all remembrances is looking back at lost opportunities to show our love or to share ourselves with family, friends, and even strangers. How wonderful to look back at Fletcher Norris and remember his love for his family and fellowman, to have vivid pictures of him taking time to play with his children and grandchildren, to help a friend in need, and to work hard, always with joy in his heart, to provide for his family.

None of us knows what effect our living will have on the world. Someday our descendents will look back at us and remember what impact we had on those around us. From the union of Fletcher and Nora, there have been more than 50 direct descendents to date, each with his or her own special gift to influence the world.

Memorial Contributions

In lieu of flowers, donations to the FTCC Foundation's Fletcher and Nora P. Norris Memorial Endowed Scholarship are greatly appreciated.

Make a Memorial Gift

A Facebook Discussion Thread on Dr. Norris' Time at FTCC

Photos from 2007

Dad's Words about his Father

Page created by Andrew Norris. Read how this page was made.