[CINC] Bob Norris

[whalebear at cs.com]

Dr. Robert Matheson Norris,, wonderful human being, great character, and giant among California geologists, has died at the age of 91.  He first taught at the Santa Barbara State Teachers' College in 1952, and with his colleague Robert Webb created and nurtured the  highly regarded Geology Department as the College morphed into the University of California at Santa Barbara.  His career at UCSB spanned 41 years (long enough for both my mother and I to take coursework from him), and he remained extraordinarily active in geology even in "retirement."  His text California Geology, coauthored with Webb, is the definitive work on the subject.  His 2003 Geology and Landscape of Santa Barbara County, California and its Offshore Islands is the definitive work on that subject also.  Dr. Norris' life was filled with both service to others (he was a verteran of both Iwo Jima and Okinawa, among many other things) and academic accomplishments (with his brother Ken, he founded the University of California Natural Reserve system, also among many other things). Those of us who knew both Bob and his brother Ken (who was one of the founding marine mammalogists in this country, a primary force in the creation of the American Cetacean Society, and also a giant in his field) marveled that the trim, quiet Bob could be related to the much larger and bluff Ken.  In truth, they both shared the same intellectual curiosity, love of exploration, and zest for life.  Both mentored hundreds of students and colleagues, all of whom remember them fondly.  Bob will  be much missed.  A more formal obituary is in yesterday's Santa Barbara Independent.  Funeral services are Saturday, 15 September, and a celebration of his life is planned for early 2013.

Chuck Rennie
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