Marylee Killmer Norris

Born: October 19, 1924, San Antonio, Texas Died: November 16, 2008, Austin, Texas Marylee Killmer Norris was born on October 19, 1924 in San Antonio's Santa Rosa Hospital where her mother, Mary Fleming Killmer, had graduated from nursing school. Her father, Robert Edward Killmer, was a civil engineer for the Texas Highway Department, a position which required the family to live in Pearsall, Refugio, Marfa, San Antonio, and Pecos during her childhood. She graduated from Pecos High School in 1942. After completing a Bachelor of Fine of Arts degree in Drama from the University of Texas in 1945, Marylee moved to New York City where she taught dance and costume design. She returned to Austin where she met and married R.C. Norris, a US Navy WW II veteran, on September 8, 1949. After living in Pullman, Washington, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, where her husband attended graduate school, and she had three children, the family returned to Austin, where R.C. taught Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas. The family moved to Fort Worth in 1964, when Texas Christian University hired R.C. to chair its Radio-Television-Film Department. Marylee received a Master of Arts in speech pathology from TCU in 1971. The same year, she began a career as a speech pathologist and teacher at TCU's Miller Speech and Hearing Clinic. She taught speech pathology courses; treated children, many of whom were public school students from low-income families; and published several research papers. Students and colleagues described her as an inspiration and reassuring spirit in their lives. She was missed by all after her retirement in 1990. Her hobbies were weaving, drawing, playing the piano and harpsichord, and cooking New England and south Texas dishes. After her husband died in 1989, she moved to Austin to be near family and friends. Marylee is survived by her children, Thomas Killmer Norris and wife Tracy Norris of Cedar Park, Dr. Mary Norris Thomas and husband James B. Thomas, III, of Kansas City, Missouri, and Robert Rudd Norris and wife Mina Loomis of Austin; and eleven grandchildren, Sarah Page Norris, Maren Lee Norris, Leslie Gail Norris, Rachel Lynn Norris, Gabrielle Michelle Norris, Donovan James Norris; Elisa Fleming Perkins and Matthew Killmer Perkins; and Jeremy Allen Loomis-Norris, Joan Roberta Loomis-Norris, and Robert Fleming Loomis-Norris; and one great grandchild, Sunnie Marie Norris. Funeral services will be held Friday, December 5, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. at All Saints Episcopal Church, 209 West 27th St., Austin, Texas. Memorial contributions can be made to All Saints Episcopal Church, or an organization befitting her belief in faith, hope, and love.