Nicholas Norris Obituary

I Ioved this man. So passionate about getting the world right. We would talk for hours...of course it always began with Nick putting my feet to the fire on an issue or a vote i was about to take. Rest well, sweet Prince. You had a good run.

He was a great friend to hike with because of his wealth of knowledge. Outdoor gear to politics to opera. But my favorite was political gab. It was discussion of different opinions and kind, but sometimes loud, debate. We need moreNicks in the world. A toast to my winter cabin friend. I will tread lightly as I hike our great outdoors. Peace, nick.

Nick was and is a great guy. He was always kind to everyone he met. He was always interested in asking deep insightful questions from people to get to know them better and was genuinely an amazing friend. He will be missed.

So sad to hear of Nick's passing. I have such fond memories of Nick through many progressive political campaigns and a shared trade union background.
Nick was a shop steward when I was the president of the union that represented our agencies workers in the Illinois Dept. of Labor. We quickly discovered that we had a mutual interest in reform, progressive politics. I think I've lost count of the number of campaigns we each worked on.
Nick's commitment to justice never wavered, he was always on the side of the angels.
Your words in this notice were very touching-worthy of the decency that Nick always displayed. I'm glad the he was able to end his days in the place that he loved.
A good man to the end, he will be missed

To all of Nick's family, please accept my condolences on Nick's passing. I have known Nick since 1979 when we both joined the newly formed Outings Club of Chicago. Early on, he presented a proposal for a backpacking trip going hut to hut in the New Hampshire mountains, including staying at the hut on Mount Washington. I was impressed with his knowledge and enthusiasm for this trip, which unfortunately did not take place for reasons I can't remember. I was also impressed by Nick's ability to recognize trees, even in winter when their leaves were gone; I have enough trouble identifying them *with* leaves. Nick was a good friend and he will be missed.

I had the pleasure of meeting Nick at Chief O’Neils. I always enjoyed seeing you!
Rest In Peace.

Nick truly was one of a kind!
What made membership in OCC so special was the fact that this diverse group of people shared common experiences (camping, biking, canoeing) and challenges (weather, physical discomfort, getting lost) and really got to know each other. We became friends with people whose personalities could be quite different from our own - and we were better for it!

So my "Nick story" is about an OCC trip I took to Alaska with Nancy (our trip leader) and Nick.
We flew in to Anchorage, spent a few days at a B&B there, and then took the Alaska Railroad train trip to Denali.
As we prepared to head out for some backcountry camping the 3 of us went through our supplies, deciding what we should carry with us and what we should leave behind in a storage locker.

When we saw what Nick had decided to bring Nancy & I were ALL OVER him!
He hadn't packed anywhere near enough food for several days of camping.
But he HAD packed a razor and aerosol can of shaving creme.
We immediately set that to rights! (Some good natured mockery was involved.)

A few days later we'd finished that part of our stay in Denali & were considering heading to another area of the park for a final day or two.
But we realized that Nick, who was a HUGE fan of train rides, had been talking wistfully about the fact that the train we'd taken to Denali actually continued further north to Fairbanks.
We suggested that he should ditch the two of us, take the train to Fairbanks, spend a night there, and ride back down the next day.
He was really happy to head off and have that small adventure on his own.

Great memories!

Cathy

Nick and I took two vacations together. One to the Lake District in England and one to Acadia National Park where I met his two brothers. Nick loved hiking. I also recall that he would forget things, most noticeably his hat, whether on the breakfast table at the B & B or on the seat of the ferry. I learned to always check our surroundings. His discussions about politics are legendary and I would call him for his input on local races as we were in the same district. He used a walker in his later years but didn't let that slow him down. He continued hiking with the walker. Back in the 1980's Nick led an annual camping trip to Door County. It was getting dark as a car full of OCC'ers (Outings Club of Chicago) got close to Sturgeon Bay, WI and the gas gauge on the car was getting low. Nick said not to worry there was a gas station up ahead. It was closed! We were so low on gas we pulled into the parking lot of a motel and slept in the car or on the ground that night. We got up the next day and continued on, with a full tank of gas, none the worse for wear. Of course we were much younger then. There will always be memories of Nick. See you later buddy.

We remember Nick from our spirited discussions during our ethnic dinner outings. He was the most scholarly among us, and even though we didn't always agree with his view, he generated (and seemed to be a behind-the-scenes moderator) for listening to everyone's ideas. His dedication to the individuals he knew and trusted included us, OCC members, and for that, Gene and I were happy to be included. It seems that always, at some point during our get-togethers, someone will always ask, "Has anyone heard from Nick?" Now it will be, "Remember Nick?" and we will.

I met Nick thru the Outings club of Chicago.
We shared several trips and good times.
Rest in Peace, old friend, you will be missed.