9 Dec 1016 – 1 May 2010
Husband of Mary Louise Merrill
Jim Norton passed away May 1, 2010, at his home in Ashland with his family around him. This is a story of how he lived.
He was born Dec. 9, 1916, in Mesa, Ariz. to Merle James Norton and Eunice Span. The desert country surrounding Mesa in those days forged more than the canyons and arroyos; it instilled in Jim at an early age a deep sense of wonder and admiration for the natural world. In hiking and camping in the desert southwest and later in the Marble Mountains and Trinity Alps, he became much more than a passerby. Always amazed by the tenacity and fragility of the plants and animals in those wild places, he became their protector and advocate.
I think that it was Jim’s innate sense of fairness that would not allow him to watch anything wantonly hurt or disturbed. This sense of fairness was not only bestowed on the plants and animals but on people as well, for in Jim’s eyes, humans were just big animals, not the smartest, but good sized. He found just as much delight in watching them as a bear or blue jay.
When I say that his sense of fairness covered humans I mean all humans. I remember growing up in Mill Valley in the 1960s where Jim was a history teacher at San Rafael High. Our home was a depot for food to be taken to the Freedom Riders and protesters for civil rights in the South. Later, when he and his wife Lou Norton moved to Ashland, he was an ardent supporter of women’s rights, a dedicated feminist, and a proud card carrying member of ACLU.
The love of my father’s life was his wife of 68 years, Mary Lou Norton, whom he married in Salt Lake City, Utah, on November 5, 1942. Jim left a week later for a four year tour of duty in the South Pacific — a definite test of their young marriage. Love, respect, humor, –I’m not sure what the ratio was but it was an alloy that became stronger with each fold and every adventure. Their first big life adventure was starting a family. Brent was born in Utah on June 10, 1948. They then moved to Berkley, Calif., where Jim received his masters in history and education. From Berkley it was on to Walnut Creek Calif., where their family grew by two. Kirk was born in 1953 and Krista three years later. Krista calls us the S.O.B.s, Siblings Of Brent.
In 1958 we moved to Mill Valley, Calif., a sleepy town nestled at the foot of Mount Tamalpias. Jim and Lou bought a house at 161 Lovell Avenue and began one of their great restoration projects. Jim was a history teacher at San Rafael High in those days and wore his hair in a military style, but the 1960s were upon us and soon his hair was a blowin’ in the wind. Then came the 1970s, with three kids raised and gone. Time to travel and reflect. Jim and Lou retired early because he always said that we kids taught him the value of going to the mountaintop to watch the sun set, and he didn’t want to miss another.
His love of history took him and Lou to Britain for a while where they reveled in the ages, but the love for their children brought them back. They chose Ashland and for a year they lived in a small cabin way up Dead Indian Road with an outhouse with no door and the best view down and away I’ve ever seen. They missed people, though, and found a small house (their second restoration project) on Third Street. Now that they were down off their mountain with a phone, running water and electricity, they were able to really apply themselves to their causes; equal rights for women, protecting the constitution, helping liberal democrats get elected, and still watching as many sunsets as possible.
Much to Jim and Lou’s delight two of their married children –Brent and Lee and Krista and Kent– chose Ashland to raise their families. Later for Brent, Pat Gearey became his lady and a much-loved member of our family. Kirk and Doria live on the Mendocino Coast. Then came the grandchildren: Erin and Kyra, Carsen and Kai, Ian and Kyle. When you put them all together like that, I can see why they had trouble with their names. Jim loved those kids and they loved him back.
Jim lived a full life filled with many more memories. If you would like to join us and share your memories of him, please come to Krista’s house, 957 Harmony Lane, in Ashland, June 12 at 1:00 p.m. Phone: 541-482-3570.