William Norcross Obituary

Norcross, Dr. William James 74, died on July 15, 2002, at his home in Gurnee, IL, born in a logging camp in Spring Creek, PA, he graduated from Northwestern University Medical School in 1954 and specialized in emergency abdominal surgery. He was seminal in the founding of the first trauma unit in the U.S. at Cook County Hospital and first director of the Illinois Trauma System. He was Founding Director and Chief of Staff at Cermack Memorial Hospital, the first general penal hospital to receive Joint Commission on Accreditation certification. Associate Professor at Northwestern Medical School from 1964-84, he also had clinical leadership roles in administration and quality at Mary Thompson Hospital and was on staff at several other Chicago-area hospitals. Bill was always ready for a spirited discussion and encouraged everyone around him to excel, many considered him to be their mentor. He loved his flowers, especially roses and gardened with his wife, Riza Rafi. His participation in Task Force Frigid at Ladd Field in Alaska during army service left a lasting impression. Survived by his loving wife, Riza, his brother, Charles, his first wife, Evelyn, sons, Mark (Catie), Jon (Marybeth), daughter, Carol (Don Llewellyn) and grandchildren, Eric, James, Meghan and Peter. Memorial contributions may be made to the Nature Conservancy, 4245 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 100, Arlington, VA, 22203-1606. An in-house visitation will be held Thursday, July 18, from 3 to 9 p.m. Please contact: Marsh Funeral Homes. For more information: 847-336-0127 Visit Guest Book at www.suntimes.com