Catholic and Loving it!

Not real. That's what it was. When I first got the news from Mark on the phone I remember having the thought "Norris has died huh? I'll have to ask him about that next time I go down to Exeter". It wasn't until I had slept on it that I really felt sad about it and only a full 24 hours later did I believe it enough to cry on Ella's shoulder. Norris can't be dead, he's like... Norris. Sadly, it all turned out to be true. Norris died on 23rd October at the gym. He was 25 years old, younger than Ella but older than me.

I first met Norris in my first year at university, we were on a physics course together and he was one of the many people I saw but never really got to know (there were a lot of people). He came to a couple of house parties in the third year and seemed like a nice guy. At the end of my third year when I should have been graduating I was looking for somewhere to live because I had failed my first year and had repeated it. Mark and I ended up moving in to 5 Cowley Bridge Road, a legendary address that will forever haunt my memories. We moved in with Rob, Norris, Dan and Adam and we had a great year. Norris seemed to live in the front room on his sofa with his blanket and his wierd eating habits. Here's a photo of him tucking in to some broccoli. It wasn't a dare or anything, that's just the kind of thing he ate...

As the years wore on was a bit of an enigma. He was clearly the most mathematically tallented person I had ever met and yet he had, like myself, failed to pass a year at university. When I asked him why he never gave an entirely straight answer but he usually said something along the lines of "unlike you I came to university because I was interested in physics, I'm not bothered about exams". That became very apparent in his final year when he spent weeks learning all the course material for his final exams and then didn't go to them because he just didn't see the point. Again, he said he had come to study physics, not to pass exams. Still, despite his efforts to the contrary he walked away with a first class masters degree in theoretical physics. There are not too many people who can pull that kind of thing off.

Norris had an immense core of good in him. The only bad thing I can remember him doing was telling me that he had wasted enough time playing James Bond computer games with me and was going to spend his time more productively. That's not really very bad now is it. He was generous to his friends, often buying an 8-pack of beer and passing them around. He spent many hours patiently explaining basic physics to me for which I am very grateful. He also worked with some Exeter's most poorest, vulnerable people. By nights he would work on the phones for the Samaritans. I remember him telling me that they said to him "whatever you do, do something lighthearted and happy during the day". During the day, Norris worked for the Big Issue with homeless people. I remember him telling me they said to him "whatever you do, do something lighthearted and happy at night". He was a much loved gentle giant

Getting to Norris' funeral was tricky. We had Mark Shea to take care of, no days holiday left and a car on the edge. We arranged to dump Mark on Michelle and I was able to carry over holidays from next year (some employers give you compassionate for funerals but mine doesn't). Not getting to the funeral wasn't an option, especially as Norris always came all the way to Hull for our big events. He danced at our wedding...

...and he cut the carrots at Leona's Baptism (and put them up her nose?)...

We had great times in Exmouth flying kites...

...and he came with us when we cycled to Dawlish. Ella and I just about got to Dawlish and back on a tandem. He did it on a dubious old BMX. Here he is playing on the swings at Turf Locks...

We heard a lot at Norris' funeral about his really quite scary appearance. The skinhead in ragged shirt and boots. Nobody thought to talk about his feminine side...

One of the more fun times we had with Norris was when we made (started making) a comedy kung-fu movie. Having seen an interview in which Jackie Chan derided the methods used by competing film makers we decided to take his descriptions as a guide of how to make a kung-fu movie without any martial arts skills at all. Mark and Norris star in, a Kung-Foo Movie...

We made the film without sound because we had grand plans to dub it over with the voices of Rob and Dan (it wouldn't be kung-fu movie without bad dubbing) but we never got around to it. Still, I think Norris' performance was excellent.

Norris' funeral consisted of two parts. The first was at the crematorium and was quite formal and churchy (including hymns), the latter part, at the Mint Methodist Church, was more like the speeches at a wedding than a funeral. In a surreal twist, Prof. Roy Sambles was at the front which meant that after two years away from Exeter I was back sitting listening to the same guy. He gave a great testimony to Norris' intellectual prowess as did Prof. John Inkson. We heard from Norris' primary school teacher who told some great stories, Luke who covered the housemate action and described Norris' power meals. Jen gave some very touching words as did many others. We laughed and we cried. Roy Sambles read some quotes from this thread on a BMX website from where I found this awesome picture...

I think I will draw this to a close by quoting Mark quoting Matthew...

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' - Mt 25:31-40

Norris, Rest in Peace. Amen.