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Donald Norris, Jr. was born in Minneapolis, MN to Donald Norris and Martha Irwin on Sept. 19, 1923. He passed away in OKC on Aug. 25, 2011. He had 2 older sisters and 1 younger (Anna, Patricia, and Jane). The family moved to Monticello, MN when he was in high school, where he spent almost as much time boating on the Mississippi River as he did in class.
He volunteered for the Army after Pearl Harbor, but was rejected on medical grounds. He became a precision grinder instead, producing the gauges that were used to check the accuracy of the gauges used on the production lines of the Norton bomb sight. He enrolled in dental school at the University of Minnesota, supporting himself by working in the machine shops on the night shift and through an ROTC program. On graduation with a D.D.S., he was inducted into the Army and stationed at Ft. Sill, OK. He was sent to the Eniwetok Atoll to support the troops and scientists during the Operation Ivy-Mike hydrogen bomb tests in the early 1950s. On his return, he resigned his Army commission and opened a dental practice in Lawton, which he maintained until 1997. His goal as a dentist was to work himself out of business, with a focus on teaching his patients to care for their teeth.
His passions were water, air, and earth. He paddled, motored, and sailed boats of all types; including some he built. He enjoyed the Mississippi river and the lakes of Oklahoma. He learned to fly while stationed at Ft. Sill, and owned an airplane for most of the rest of his life. His favorite was his Cessna 195, which he maintained and flew for 35 years. It was in perfect condition when he sold it. He bought a farm/ranch and moved to the country in 1980. He loved to climb on the tractor, till the garden, or feed the cows after a day in the dental office.
Donald is survived by three sisters, five children, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
In lieu of donations or flowers, he requests that you floss your teeth every night this week.
At Donald's request, there will be no services.
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