Janet Norris

Janet Pauline Norris Feb 13th, 1951- March 25th, 2023

Mother, Teacher, Friend, adoptive Grandma, Sister, dog/horse rescuer are but a few titles that encompass the life she led in service to others, her community, church, schools, summer camps and kids everywhere. Above all she was proud to be a mom and aunt to many others in trying and difficult family circumstances. Her compassion, patience, calm advice, hugs and Love knew no bounds.

A graduate of Washburn University in 1990 with top honors in Education, she dedicated her professional life to being a communications and mass media teacher at Washburn Rural Middle School. After retirement, she worked in special education, as a sub and para across many districts.
A vibrant spiritual life, wise counsel, kind words or tutoring on any school subject imaginable were freely given away as she truly believed that the only things kept in life are those we give away in service to others, our planet and God. To “LOVE HARD” was a mantra, philosophy, and lifestyle to be.

She will forever be the golden standard of what an educator/mentor can be and the most faithful recycler of anything that would help clean up a patch of nature. She passed on her love of the outdoors, adventures, camping, road trips, and exploration to others and especially her son Phil, who she often bragged about in his career as an expedition guide in far flung places like Alaska, Antarctica, and everywhere in between.
It was Alaska that she most enjoyed traveling to in her life, other than to horse races, museums, KC or Cubs baseball games, and drives around anywhere new. Many people around the country and world were touched by her love of nature and her belief in its ability to heal by simply talking a walk through it.

According to her wishes her ashes will be interred in a Norris family tomb in Clay Center, Kansas in a private Viking ceremony. The rest will be spread in the pyramids of Egypt and Alaska along with some other notable international landmarks, parks and flower gardens that break several rules, laws, and treaties.

She is survived by her only son Phil Norris of Topeka, Kansas and her sisters Sharon and Marilyn. There are also innumerable other souls that have called her mom, grandma, aunt or simply as Ms. Norris at school to count or mention.

She will be missed, but certainly is having a good time riding horses around heaven with her parents, Warren and Pauline Norris, brother Dale Norris, niece Brittany Norris, and countless Northern ancestors back along the ancient Norris line that traces back across Scandinavia. She is also surrounded by countless rescue dogs she helped in life and above all, our beloved family dog, Sadie.

In Lieu of Flowers, she would prefer that whoever wishes to honor her memory would call up an old friend, relative, or someone else dear and go out for a hike together to pick up trash, cans that need recycling, etc. to clean up our living planet we all share. Financial donations however can be made to her favorite horse charity where she volunteered for many years, B&C Equine Rescue Ranch.

Her funeral is scheduled at Topeka 1st Assembly of God Church, Topeka, KS at 3pm, Saturday, April 1st, 2023. Given the date of pranks and her thought that a celebration of life is a more appropriate term, all are welcome, with a joking and joyous spirit. Drab, dark clothing is discouraged whereas Pink and Purple were her favorite colors and should be worn if possible. Fancy hats, costumes, weird colorful suits, historical anything, whatever is more than welcome and encouraged.

She loved to smile and make others do the same, so why not bust out some colors and class to say “Cya Later” to our beloved Mama Jan?