Elwin Irene Mayo Norris

She grew up in Cheatham County on a farm along the Little Marrowbone River. She was the eldest of the nine children of the late Jesse Edward and Ona Augusta Mayo.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Clyde Davis Norris. She is also preceded by her sister, Lois Taylor (Herbert) and brothers, Kenneth Mayo (Ann), and Jesse Ray Mayo (Betty).

She is survived by her children, Lynda Duncan (David) of Santa Fe, New Mexico, David Norris (Betty) of Columbia, Tennessee, Patrice Norris of Nashville and Joyce Reynolds (Jeff). She leaves behind her grandchildren, Kenneth Norris, Benjamin McNeil (Stephanie) of Chicago, Illinois, Amanda Longhauser of Nashville, Nathaniel McNeil of Fort Collins, Colorado, Eleanor McNeil of Florida, and Caroline Bowers (Eric) of Austin, Texas. Her great-grandchildren are Eden Rose Wilder and Lily Elwyn Wilder.

Surviving siblings include June Davenport (Carl), Iris Skelton (Harold), Mary Ellen Brown, Terry Lee Mayo (Pat), and Donald Mayo (Mary).

After her children reached school age, Elwin became very active in public education and civic affairs. After serving as the most glamorous patrol mother for years at Eakin Elementary School, she was named Safety Coordinator for the Police Department where she served from 1962-1975. She developed a program of safety education for Metro Nashville and taught safety workshops in the schools, at churches, civic groups, and parent-teacher groups.

From 1966-1970, she was an elected member of the Davidson County Democratic Executive Committee representing the 25th Council district as parliamentarian.

She served on the Board of Directors of the Nashville Public Television Council from 1970-1972. The council advised and assisted the Board of Education in the operation and management of its Educational Television station, WDCN-TV.

She was appointed by the Mayor, Approved by the Council of Metro Nashville Government to the First Cable Television Committee to represent Family and Children. She served from 1973-1978. She was appointed by the Metro Nashville Board of Education to the Advisory Committee to establish guidelines, identify and establish policies to meet the Federal Court Order for Integration. As the Council President of the Metro Nashville Parent-Teacher association, she established Human Relations Committees in the schools during the Integration process.

She was quite clearly an advocate for public education and the welfare of its students. She served on committees supporting school health, a breakfast program for the schools, a clothing service for needy children, a federally funded intervention program to serve as a model for solving children's learning and behavioral problems. She sponsored a successful program for WSIX radio called "Let's Listen to Youth" for high school students to participate in and discuss their needs and views.

She worked for over 23 years with the PTA eventually becoming the President of the Metropolitan Nashville Council of the association. Her awards and recognitions were extensive. She played a very valuable role in the shaping of this city in the 1960's through the 1970's. For her Outstanding service as President of the Metro-Nashville Council of PTAs, she was presented with a flag by then Congressman Richard Fulton that was flown over the United States Capitol.

When she retired from her civic services she went to work at Cain-Sloan as a top-notch and much loved salesperson in the Better Sport Wear department eventually retiring from there in the mid 1980's.

Throughout all of these activities, she was a Super Mom, and an extremely loving and devoted Grandmother. She loved gardening and reading. She maintained an extensive library wherever she lived. She had a passion for history and genealology, spending many years researching her family history. And she traveled. She loved her adventures across the world- sometimes with family and sometimes just herself. All of her passions have been passed down to her children who treasure her and will always carry her in their hearts. She made her children, and her children's children, and all whom she touched better for her having been in this world.

Visitation for Elwin Norris will be at Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home and Memorial Park on Friday, October 16th from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Her service will be held on Saturday at 2:30 p.m., with visitation an hour beforehand.

Her daughter Patrice and her son-in-law Jeff will be officiating the services. Her Pallbearers will include her brothers, her grandsons, and her nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the English Department of Hume-Fogg Academic High School with the intent of establish a memorial scholarship in her name.