A. Lowell Norris' Obituary
A. Lowell Norris lived nearly 100 years, and he filled those years with love of family, music, and art.
Lowell was born in 1927. His family lived in a succession of homes during his earliest years as his parents found available work during the Great Depression. They eventually settled on the family farm in Jay County, Indiana, on land owned by Lowell’s ancestors since 1847, a portion of which is still in the family to this day. Having spent much of his childhood in rural homes without indoor plumbing and electricity, Lowell often fondly recalled that when the Rural Electrification Act brought power to the farm, it was a cause for great family and community celebration. Lowell attended one-room schoolhouses and Portland High School, then joined the US Army in 1945. After serving in Seattle in 1946-47, he came home to Indiana and studied engineering at Purdue. Lowell was a first generation college student and very grateful and proud of his college education which he was able to obtain through the WWII-era GI Bill. He frequently remarked how he never would have gotten to where he was professionally had it not been for the GI Bill. Lowell was very proud to have had college classes with Apollo astronaut Neil Armstrong, taking particular delight that Neil remembered him at a reunion many decades later.
In 1954, he graduated from Purdue with a degree in mechanical engineering and married the love of his life, Jeanne Jacobus, then moved to the Chicago area and raised two beloved sons: Kevin, a composer, and Tim, an artist and arts educator.
He worked as a mechanical engineer for International Harvester (later Case International) for over 40 years, with a focus on agricultural equipment. He travelled the country and abroad to learn firsthand about the effects of his designs on increased crop productions. He held numerous patents for his design work on the IH Cyclo Planter, which made planting corn and beans easier and more precise.
A tragic hayride accident in high school shaped his life and career arc: he was dedicated to searching out the weak link in any mechanical device or interpersonal situation in order to provide a possible fix. He was a problem-solver professionally and personally.
He appreciated well-designed cars and loved to drive his BMW Z4 - actually driving it for the final time just two weeks before his death.
During those years in Illinois, he and Jeanne were enthusiastic patrons of the arts, especially opera. They attended dozens of performances, and Lowell fondly recalled his favorite performers for the rest of his life.
In 1998, they moved to Michigan, and Lowell spent many days with his young grandson, Ari. Ari and Lowell shared an extraordinarily strong and close relationship as Ari grew into an accomplished artist. As a running joke, Lowell was fond of often telling Ari that he was his favorite grandchild!
All his days, Lowell found great pride and immense joy in Ari’s sculptures, Kevin’s musical explorations, and Tim’s paintings, and when his daughters-in-law, Kristi and Patti, joined his family, he welcomed them with love and found that joy and pride in Patti’s art and Kristi’s music as well.
Throughout his life, he loved classical and folk music, opera, and visual art. He often said, “I don’t know what I’d do without Blue Lake Radio.” He was particularly fond of Foley Schuler’s programs for their educational value. He admittedly struggled with jazz but made a concerted effort to better understand it shortly before his death, reflecting his childlike curiosity about many far-ranging subjects and his dedicated desire to be a life-long learner.
Lowell always worked hard to make sure the others around him were comfortable and content. He always sought to make life better for his loved ones and greatly enjoyed being generous in all meanings of the word. He was a dedicated caregiver to Jeanne for many years. Lowell is remembered by his grandson Ari, his son Tim (Patti), his son Kevin (Kristi), his sister Ethelyn Glentzer, his brother Wayne, and his nieces Meg Habegger, Julie Katsel, and Libby Hull. He was predeceased by Jeanne, his wife of 63 years.
A man of humor, honor, and humility, Lowell had a gift for enjoying music, art, the beauty of the world around him, and the love of his family. We think about him all the time, and are glad he will always be with us.
Lowell’s friends are invited to share memories at https://sytsemafh.com. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Blue Lake Public Radio or the Poppen House of Muskegon. Arrangements by The Lee Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services, 6291 Harvey St., Norton Shores, MI 49444.
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