Beverly Ann Norris' Obituary
Following a recent leukemia diagnosis, Beverly (Bev) Ann Norris, formerly known as Beverly Ann Katchmark, was called home to the Lord at the age of 85. Surrounded by her family, she passed away peacefully at her home in Fredericksburg, VA on Friday, November 1, 2024.
Bev was born in Sturgeon Lake, MN to her parents, Frances and Walter Katchmark, on January 17, 1939. Bev was one of five siblings and grew up in Minneapolis, MN. Attending Catholic school is where her faith foundation began. During her teen years, she was a switchboard telephone operator, and later worked for Honeywell as a secretary.
Bev met her husband, David (Dave), at age 16. Five years later, they were married in 1960. Being an Army military wife, she traveled a lot. Dave was deployed to Vietnam twice, once from 1965-66 and again from 1967-69.
Raising her family was Bev’s constant joy. She was a dedicated stay-at-home mom, then later became a receptionist when her children were teenagers. Last June she and Dave celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary. In addition to her four children, she ultimately had five grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Family meant the world to her.
God always remained an integral part of Bev’s life. Her deepest fulfillment in life came from a relationship with God through faith in Jesus. She nurtured her relationship with Him by reading His word every day and attending daily mass. She let scripture saturate her mind and heart as she walked steadily along the path of life. Bev shared the love of Christ with everyone she met.
Everyone adored Bev’s amazing kindness, quick sense of humor, and love for life. She was smart-witted and always had a joke or two up her sleeve, ready to share. Despite her petite stature, she had a way of lighting up the room with her presence; her infectious joy filled the air. Maybe it was her smile, her jokes, or just her energy, but she surely encouraged positivity and light. Her inner spunk made her seem youthful in spite of her years.
Bev kept active, both physically and socially. She routinely played golf, snow skied, and country line-danced until age 80, and played cards with her lady friends once a week. She loved playing games, constantly walked the treadmill, and would get exercise by riding her bike. For many years, she volunteered at St. Matthew Thrift Store (an outreach ministry of the church), and her Sunday afternoons were always spent having lunch with her girlfriends. Although she didn’t always enjoy preparing meals, she was a fantastic baker and cook. Everyone especially loved her Christmas cookies and soups. She loved drinking red wine, doing puzzles, learning life-lessons from Judge Judy (and passing along the really important ones to her children/grandchildren), and relaxing with Netflix or a good book.
To remember and celebrate her life, a memorial mass will be held at St. Jude Catholic Church on Wednesday, November 13 at 11:00 am. Bev will be interred at Quantico National Cemetery with a farewell service for immediate family on November 14.
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