Obituary of Reverend Dr. William D. Norris

Reverend Dr. William (Bill) Dean Norris 80, of Punta Gorda, Florida passed away at Fawcett Hospital on March 11, 2021 following a short illness. Bill was born in Liberal, Kansas on April 10, 1940 to Kreston and Dorothy (King) Norris. He has been a resident of Charlotte County for 48 years. Bill was a graduate of Haviland High School, Friends Bible College, Southern Nazarene University and Nazarene Theological Seminary. Bill married Dolores (Wanser) Norris on June 11, 1960 in Bradenton, Florida at First Church of the Nazarene. They were happily married for 60 years and raised a beautiful family. After seminary, Bill moved to Pinellas Park and started a new Church of the Nazarene, building the building and growing the congregation during the first two years. He was then the Pastor of churches in Sanford and Punta Gorda and pastored and built the Palm Beach Blvd Nazarene Church in Ft Myers. While pastoring in Punta Gorda, Bill was responsible for beginning the ministries of the Englewood and Port Charlotte Nazarene Churches. Rev. Bill was Assistant Pastor at the Punta Gorda First United Methodist Church, after which he pastored at the Trinity Methodist Church in Charlotte Harbor. While serving churches in this area, Rev. Norris maintained church services on Sundays at Alligator Park in Punta Gorda for 44 years. Ministering there was a very special part of his life. Dr. Norris was an active member of the Ministerial Associations in Pinellas County, Seminole County, Charlotte County, Fort Myers and the Rotary Club in Charlotte County while serving as a Pastor in these areas. He started the Eagle Recovery Ministries while serving the Palm Beach Church of the Nazarene in Ft. Myers. Rev. Norris also was Nazarene Youth International president for the South Florida District for several years. In his spare time, Bill enjoyed many hobbies including traveling, music, reading, maintaining his family genealogy and water activities but above all, he delighted in serving the Lord and spending time with his family and friends. Rev. Bill Norris was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Gary Norris and Kreston Ivon Norris II. He is survived by his beloved wife, Dolores; sons, William Dean Norris II of San Francisco, California and Ronald Wayne Norris (Martha) of Olathe, Kansas; daughter, Darla Cyrille Norris of Punta Gorda, Florida; grandsons, William Dean Norris III of Knoxville, Tennessee and Christopher Adam Norris (Jesse) of Shawnee, Kansas; sisters, Shirley Bethel (John) of Abilene, Texas and Patricia Hendrix of Springdale, Arkansas; brother, Martin Norris (Marilyn) of Newton, Kansas and other loving family. Visitation will be held on Friday, March 19, 2021 from 12:30 – 1:00 PM with a Service starting at 1:00 PM at Charlotte Memorial Funeral Home, Cemetery and Crematory, 9400 Indian Spring Cemetery Rd., Punta Gorda, FL 33950. Burial will follow at Charlotte Harbor Cemetery, 4410 Church Street, Port Charlotte, FL 33980.