Joseph D., "Uncle Joe" / "Joe" Norris, age 85 and a resident of McComb, Mississippi died suddenly on Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at Forrest General Hospital. He was a proud son of Mississippi, born in Meadville on October 23, 1937 to the late James August and Betty Elizabeth (Smith) Norris.

He was preceded in death by his wife and sweetheart of 48 years, Annette (Maloch) Norris; his daughter Robyn (Norris) Matthis; granddaughter, Victoria Neely; great-grandson Bode Neely; brothers John Norris, Jerry Norris, James Norris, Jesse Norris, Julius Norris, Lonnie Norris and Jimmy Norris.

Joe is survived by two sons, Joseph D. (Jay) Norris, Jr. (Doug Fillmore) of Portland, Maine, and Daniel E. Norris (Karen) of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi; brothers Jerrel Norris (Lorraine) of Sydney, Australia, Jacob Norris (Martha) of Marrero, Louisiana, Jerry Norris of Hammond, Louisiana, and a sister, Bettie Jean (Norris) Clark of Brandon, Mississippi; as well as two grandchildren, three step-grandchildren; four great grandchildren. He is also survived by numerous loving nieces and nephews, and one grand-pug. He loved them all deeply, almost as much as he loved Ole Miss, Archie Manning and the New Orleans Saints!

Visitation will be Thursday, November 3, 2022 from 5pm until 8pm at Hartman-Jones Funeral Home, 1801 Delaware Ave. McComb, MS 39648. Visitation will continue at 9 AM with a celebration of life at 10:30 am on Friday, November 4, 2022 at New Heights Baptist Church, 5140 Hwy. 98 West, Summit, MS 39666, followed by a brief internment service at Pike Memorial Gardens in McComb, MS. Bro. Joseph Ingram will officiate.

Joe began his life in rural Mississippi as one of several children born to sharecroppers during the Great Depression. As a boy, he played the trombone, or attempted to play the trombone, as he is remembered by siblings as making more of a "joyful noise" than discernable music. He delighted in singing for whomever would serve as an audience and loved styles of music ranging from bluegrass and classic country to contemporary music and spiritual classics. He would go on to participate in several church choirs, performing in multiple holiday cantatas.

He was a fiercely proud patriot who taught his three children to love and respect the principles upon which America was founded. He could be known to vote Democrat on rare occasions, and Republican much more, but his loyalty was to God and country first, and politics a distant fourth. Without finishing high school, Joe enlisted in the United States Army where he served bravely as a field medic in the Korean War, tending to severely wounded compatriots on the front lines inside North Korea. He remained humble about his time in war, rarely elaborating on his service or the horrors he experienced there. He loved football, old westerns, anything barbecued and Sunday drives with his family.

It was at a July 4th picnic in 1959 where he was introduced to his future wife by his best friend Sam White and her best friend Virginia (Broome) White. Both couples would later marry and become lifelong best friends. Joe began raising his family in Kenner, Louisiana, owning and managing his own semi trucking services before working for Coca Cola USA Inc. as a long-haul trucker carrying specially designed machinery to bottling plants nationwide. He was well known and highly respected throughout the southern long haul trucking industry. Known by the radio handle 'Ghost Rider,' he rarely met a stranger who wasn't an immediate friend. In earlier years, he and Annette would often provide groceries, Christmas toys and other necessities to neighbors, friends and family who needed the help. He was a talker, and we mean TALKER! He loved a good story, never shying from hearing a bit of gossip, or sharing his opinion on the latest business to move to town, who the new pastor was or who married whom. He was generous in giving life advice, much of it unsolicited but always appreciated, (we think). When his right index finger raised, the room knew Joe was about to dispense his special brand of advice or wisdom, much of it ending in laughter, typically led by Joe himself. He had nicknames for everyone, whether they liked them or not, and those who were assigned them would never be known by any other name while in his presence.

He was always well-dressed and clean-shaven with just a few healthy splashes of Old Spice, regardless of how often his wife would "recommend" he use less of it. Joe loved to laugh, was never seen without his pipe and never drank alcohol, even when his daughter implored him to try. Over and over again. Seriously, we could never convince him just to get a little buzzed on a glass of wine, he was a proud, unabashed teetotaler! He loved home cooked Southern cooking, hated spinach and had a deep abiding love for Little Debbie.

Joe loved animals. Especially eating them. But he really loved animals. Like babies, he never met a furry critter he didn't like or wouldn't want to hold and cuddle. While he never turned down a serving of deer meat, he shied from hunting, often saying he didn't have the time. But his children knew the real reason, and loved him for it even more.

Joe Norris will be remembered for all this and much more. He came to the world with nothing, he answered his country's call without hesitation. He bled red, white and blue and stayed true to the Lord God he served. He was a deeply devoted, deeply loving and protective husband, a good provider to his family and a loving dad who never said "no" to his children's hugs, and never had to be prompted to say "I love you," even to his grown children. And while he left too soon, Joe looked forward to reuniting with his sweetheart, and to be held in God's mighty hands while hearing the words he said he hoped to hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." For all this and more, he will be sorely missed and never forgotten.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation be made in his name to any candidate for Mississippi Governor who is NOT the current office holder, in the hope that our beloved state will someday be led by one who honors and respects American veterans, and will promise to respond to, safeguard and care for our Mississippi veterans and their families in times of need.

His sons wish to express their deepest gratitude for the exceptional staff and medical providers at Forrest General Hospital's ICU and MedSurg floor. They also express a deep and special thanks and love for their extended family members, Margie (Norris) Bozeman of Union, Mississippi, Michael and Carol Smith of Magnolia, Mississippi and Zachary and Angelina Smith of Zelienople, Pennsylvania.