Captain Willard Hamilton Norris, 94, of Deltaville passed away January 7, 2021. He was preceded in death by his parents, Oscar and Marian Norris; his wife Shirley; and a great-granddaughter, Maren Eloise Norris. He leaves behind to cherish his memory a son, Willard Norris (Beverly); daughter, Martha Oliver; granddaughter, Amy Bull (Kevin); grandsons, Chucky Oliver (Kate), Brad Norris (Danielle), Jonathan Norris and Ryan Norris (Jeanne); nine great-grandchildren; a brother-in-law, Edward P. Harrow, Sr. (Sondra); one niece and two nephews.
Willard retired from Virginia Marine Resource Commission. He was a master boat builder; building his first boat in his living room. Willard spent countless hours in his back-yard boat shed building workboats that continue to frequent the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. After retirement, he continued building boats and taking fishing parties aboard the Capt. Ryan. Willard’s other beloved pastime was baseball. He played for the Deltaville Deltas, but found his greatest pleasure with the sport came from coaching his son, grandsons and Middlesex youth in the Middlesex Little League program.
A graveside service will be held 2 PM, Sunday, January 10, 2021 in Philippi Memorial Gardens, Ballpark Road, Deltaville, VA.
Memorial contributions may be made to Deltaville Ballpark, PO Box 211, Deltaville, VA 23043, Zoar Baptist Church, Children’s Activities, PO Box 1010, Deltaville, VA 23043 or Deltaville Maritime Museum, P.O. Box 466, Deltaville, VA 23043.
