Mary Tsumagari Norris

She is survived by her husband of 18 years Charles (Buck) Norris, her son Colin

Gaddie, both of Fort Collins, Colorado and three sisters; Barbara Tsumagari,

Martha Schilling, and Margaret Selvage.

Mary was born in 1953 in Grand Forks, North Dakota. She did most of her

growing up in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It was here that she met her husband in

junior high school, whom she married 47 years later. Mary earned a BA and a

Masters degree and started her career in the commercial arts field.

Her career took a turn when she became a book designer/editor for International

Sport Publications and produced books for The National Sports Festival, and The

World Games, which led to the 1984 LA Olympic Games. This was the start of a

lengthy career with the Olympics. The various positions she held had her working

in Europe, the Far East, and Australia. People asked her what she did as an art

director at the Olympics? And she would smile and explain, “I make mascots.”

She went from mascot to co-producing Closing Ceremonies. After five Olympics,

she retired, moved to Fort Collins and married her junior high sweetheart. Mary

would tell all, “Colorado has been good to me.”

Mary had a love/hate relationship with her own artwork; was known to sit through

rain and snowstorms at Red Rocks; would drag anyone to see an art exhibit; was

her son’s number one “groupie” and loved to listen to him play the guitar and

watch him perform in bands; was an avid reader; played the stock market and

loved to travel. The thing she treasured most was float trips with Buck. She was

taken away too swiftly, and too soon. Mary had a saying, “Don’t cry because it is

over, Smile because it happened.”

We will miss her.