Charles (Chuck) Norris and Mary Norris

00:04 Mary Norris

00:10 If 71

00:15 They say I have no idea. What is it today and November 1st s and I'm his wife. My husband's wife.

00:28 Chuck Norris 78 one November 2016 where Norwich Connecticut and I'm here with my wife.

00:39 Maybe we should start with how we came to be in Norwich. What do you think? It's good idea. I'm good. Okay, and they said they sent us up to here and actually down in Newport, but we're not but anyway, we were coming into to get a house here in no it if we could and then as we spoke about to do with you we wanted to have a house and a place. That's some Mark old fashioned.

01:19 With a lot of kids kids there for our kids.

01:26 And the we have had bought the house and after we were there we were so glad all the people around us were very nice and all they came from every country. You could think about it. I we were stunned and that was great for my children. They had to deal with that too. And that I'd like it. I like it Scot because treat my cheap children can go to school just walk to school and even down to here in the Norwich and that it was a great place at that time for

02:08 What were the kids against play with their we're on the corner of Summit Street and Mountain Avenue and when we were looking the realtor we showing us through.

02:24 Tract houses

02:27 But I have a lot of the houses the same people in the same age and everything and that's not what we wanted. We had lived in developments before and we wanted our own fashion neighborhood. And I remember my wife said to the realtor.

02:42 The night after we finish looking she wouldn't mind an older house if it was in good shape. And so the next morning they took us to this house and it was beautiful. It was spotless had about 2 Acres of ground and we didn't hesitate we took it right away.

03:00 And I am I going to hail to yeah, we had a hill and in the winter. We had all the kids in the neighborhood.

03:11 Sledding down the hill and impacted. Sometimes you had to be a referee over boys wanted to build a little ski jump and stuff and they didn't want the little ones around for something you had to get out there and kind of

03:29 Keep them from killing each other. We could go up and seeing all night Riot. If we went back with beyond Behind the property it was the woods and stuff. In fact, it was a rolling ball field the kids used to play on at one end and the kids for so many years had played on it the ruts around the bases with a base would be like for a second and third you had what's that? We're like almost a foot deep for the kids playing ball there, but it was great cuz you could stand up on the back side and you could see the whole city down there. It was really pretty.

04:08 And when they would have the fireworks on the 4th of July have to drive anywhere. We just walk across the street to our neighbor's backyard and the whole neighborhood would sit there and watch the fireworks and have a good time was great. It was going to have that time 1973. You did your first show you were in the cold out the submarine base. Yeah, I take I want to talk about that when I was child. I would love theater. I loved movies and that kind of thing. I would love to have that been dancing and all this kind of thing. And anyway that didn't happen. But when we were here we came to eat here and Norwich.

05:03 My husband came home one night from the base and he said he still gave me a thing big piece of paper rose your brochure that Tim was talking about apparently in the on the base. They had a group theater group and and Chuck said to me this is your chance to go and get into something because they would asking for people to come up or knowledge Mission. So I fell first I hit all well, you know, they probably wouldn't have met but I waited a couple of days weeks or whatever and I thought I'll go down there and if I'll be quiet and I'll just sit down and damned if I don't think I'm going to be as good as the other people that are auditioning. I'll just creeped out. Well that didn't happen because when I go

06:03 To the place that it was a guy sitting down and right away. He put up the number one on my chest here go and go and go and go and I'm going to see what happens. You know, I don't want to do this look stupid when I was saying up there with another peoples are great, you know, so when we won by one the guy that was a direct tractor he was he was a character anyway, but he he was very sharp and you just have to do it but he's so at one by one people are going over up there and sing and then go in another place and and dance a little bit with other people and they watch you see if you know what he's doing and it was a weight went on for a long time because of a lot of people there and after while

07:03 Some of these women around me was saying I got to go home. My husband is expecting me to get a dinner from hell for him being out and so several people left, but I just stuck it up and that there are other people but I just stayed there and them everybody at by the way had to sing in the beginning that place anyway, so he was calling out the number but he on your chest if you'd want this and and so a lot of Gal Gadot got out and went out home and I stopped in here. I might as well stay here to the last well after he called off the couple of blasts numbers for the people. He called mine and I always said if it if those other girls had stayed, I might not too bad. Got that job.

08:03 Just in the chorus and that's yes and I do I get my I loved it. I love it from that time on I was in theater and I didn't know anything about it, but I watch the other people and what they did and talk to them and letting us and little by little and it was a long time. This happened. I got something one. This is funny to the five first time. I had a chance to speak and it was because the other girl that was bet MGM

08:44 She couldn't get the English thing. It was an English show so they couldn't forget the you know the accent and at that time I thought I'd lost it but I said and they thought they gal that was in charge of that time. She said married you if you can't get to you do it because you convert England and whatever and M you might be able to do it. So I said, oh, yeah, I'll give you a try so it wasn't very good that but it was better than everybody else. And that's how I got stopped just have one or two words that I spoke in the place. And after that I was going over here. I'm doing things in the app.

09:33 My knee hurt Heap help them the backstage backstage people. I did that. I did everything I could and I watched everybody and that's how I learned to do it and I I've been doing it just even a couple of days. How many days has it been about when I started in 73 and you just did but it was last year. We did the show at the yes. Yes. Yeah and there that says my state cuz I'm getting tired. You know, I'm

10:16 I love it. I love it. I would never but I always take tell the story about that cow because if she had his he's the cat guys. Yes, we're going I'm I might not leave.

10:35 No, he was very good. And the kids were young. That time not very young. But but anyway, and he was wonderful about it. He he did but then and this is another now I was waiting to do something at what at time and we were just sitting down on the gal is with me friend of mine. And she said yeah, you know my husband. She said she was doing other show two and she said them we can we can we have an enemy to help us in the remember that Jack. Yes.

11:22 And I said, but not much anyway when we were doing the show at at the O'Neill theater center in the barn.

11:39 Anna once we got into the barn

11:43 And where we set up and we were rehearsing.

11:46 And I was getting home at 2:00 in the morning and stuff like this. Where have you been and it takes forever to get from the O'Neill backpack Anna?

12:03 So then once then she came out to go to the show.

12:08 And we opened on a Thursday night.

12:11 And a

12:14 Guess Who with the First Act and this is what you heard and think.

12:21 One person climbing

12:25 I was watching I was riding Johnny was the only person in the audience on the Thursday night for the opening of the shelf and it was a it was a show that it was written by you.

12:37 News reporter for they've been a reporter for the bulletin here in Norwich Inn.

12:44 He passed away suddenly in an accident but unable to play with blues for two losers and it was interesting. But that was that was the first play. I was really involved in and and most of it at the beginning. I was going not to be knowledge, but I was in awe, but then when the on the when they they people leave the people that you know, no no no, no.

13:22 The after based they said they couldn't have any we couldn't do it because that's where we were doing all this stuff very few military and more civilians involved in the drama drama program on the base. So they said no I think about here, you know, it's because that that time that we hate there was no theater thing and I said to my friend went to a girl I said, maybe we could start one up over know it's because I'm coming to Norwich all the time and them, you know, that would be nice to be in the show that's right there. So I came in and we were into a group there and you were Diane. Thank you put an ad in the paper put an ad in the paper. So interested in

14:22 4 minute theater group and quite honestly, they came out of the woodwork.

14:30 Can Gillum

14:38 And then that way we get different times. We have few at the beginning and then we came in with lots more people and it was great to have it here or I loved it. I loved it. And then we did a lot of shows. They only problem he sent you in there though. You say was we where is there a theater there or anything? You know at that time, at least it wasn't really and we had to go and do it and funny places. Like they did have a masonic temple. Yes, but but not in the theater it downstairs in the ballroom or whatever we did dinner theater.

15:27 Down there and then

15:31 We do some shows at the Mohegan College when it was up on.

15:38 Mi on drive or some place up there and

15:44 Then

15:46 What does it tell you cuz you went we moved on the other things after a while. I went to the Chelsea players. That was great. Probably sounds like about the time you went to be drama coach at Montville High School. Yes, somebody that I knew in theater at her she was or where how did I know about that shows how he and she I'm renewing stepping back we have are because

16:27 Get help with the shows and when she asked Mary if she would be interested in taking over the job and I said, well, I haven't actually done that but I think I can do it. She's so you can marry so I actually got a job there without anybody bothering me or saying why it was who you but anyway, I did that for about eight years and then it girl kids and that I loved it but after a while it was tiring, so I had to get set step by a part of what happened to is. I was working a full-time job with Norwich Public Utilities. We were also both involved with

17:13 The professional Theater Company in New London

17:18 I was the sound engineer for them and I was also hired by the school is Mary technical director for the scenery and lighting and stuff like this.

17:28 So it had we figured it out. It evolved down between the high school the American musical theater.

17:36 They was like one weekend a year. We had to call our own.

17:40 And it did it just reached a point where in fact for me. That's where theater became a job. It was no longer a hobby with work and but working with the kids and mom probably the highlight of the theater. Yeah, and I could have a bad day at work.

18:04 And go out there and be with those kids for 10 minutes and the day with the day was great and the best thing I ever did really they were wonderful and they remember they remember Dave they remember it and not talk about it then things.

18:24 Broke about you a little bit Chuck, okay.

18:29 Where is the Navy 20 years in the Navy Electronics technician when I retired in 1975?

18:37 And when we came here, I just got back from Vietnam, and I was just trying to submarine School Medicine instructor.

18:48 We had actually lived here in Norwich one time before 1964. We lived over a little house over on North Main Street, and we were in here very long, but only a few months because I had an accident and doing some training and Escape tank down in New London at the base and I ended up going to a destroyer out at Newport Rhode Island. How many weeks has it been on submarine and executive officer system 800 I've been waiting for you.

19:30 That's really not what you want to hear when you walk aboard a ship me and then I can't tell you where we're going. But we're leaving in 10 to 14 days will be gone and I was left with a little boy that has done with your wife settled in Navy housing and I did.

19:48 But that wasn't here know. This was in Newport, Rhode Island. And when we left for Vietnam, my wife had better drivers might she had her driver's license here in Norwich. She had just gotten it for her son wasn't even a year old yet and my wife she knew how to get to the grocery store on the base the hospital and the Navy Exchange and 10 to 12 days later. I was gone for 8 months and hard to tell you that it was so that when I had my 25 in my 20 years in and I was unsure Duty here at the sub base and she said I think it's going to be time to think about retiring this way back. You didn't have to do that ever again, so

20:39 Well actually check I said to you then that I wanted to get my kids to have no friends and them right when you said they didn't they were going from place to place the place you that they let friends going back to Childhood time. You you have one in England. I have none because I grew up all over the world. My father was also a career Navy. So yeah, it's great our children grew up here and they had still have friends from when they were first grade on up and I

21:25 Iceland Iceland news the who is now an attorney and the Probate Judge here and all which I don't think you could beat him out of here with a big girl and I love everything about it. In fact

21:39 His office is like a museum for the city and on which it is. He's got more memorabilia and stuff going back for years and it's all over the walls of the probate office and in Norwich and Amy now, that's how I know. You went to the academy of the Holy Family in Baltic and then went to the graduated from

22:09 Eastern Eastern Connecticut University, and she's now a teacher in Middletown she has

22:18 Twin twin daughters, who are

22:21 Jack and Jamie your 123s. I think that and their brother is 21 +.

22:30 Famous married now Jacquees married and living in Virginia and other granddaughter. Jamie is a Fulbright scholar and she's just arrived.

22:43 Rites back from Malaysia tomorrow and it's been there for a year and there for you.

22:53 And in January she Fulbright has invited her back for a second year at this school. And so she'll be here for a couple of months and then she'll be back to Malaysia. We don't like it because we like it here, but she likes to do these things and she does is after that.

23:17 But for like Norwich you fact for a while.

23:22 We had them there was a point where we sold our house to our daughter when she got married and we built a house on the lake. I like in Preston.

23:33 I don't know where you live there what 11 12 11 years and years ago.

23:43 And we walked all around Southeastern, Connecticut.

23:47 And we decided now we're going to stay in Connecticut with stay in Norwich.

23:55 We like long which all our friends are here. Everybody we know is here and

24:01 Utilities are less expensive here than they are living in other parts of Connecticut dominium.

24:13 It was for the best ones we could find and yeah, we're in it now, but I did I help for that. That's yeah, and at the time that there was not anything going on in that place. So I said, you know, I'll do a show for you. So I did this is years ago, but I did and I did two or three more after that and then

24:52 It was great. Just trying to get it where they started everything up there other than other was nothing that was happening that until that using the what is now the dollar theater. We use that to build build scenery and stage, but it wasn't very big and he went in after they renovated the theater then we built the thrust stage out. You didn't place.

25:27 Norwich Arts Council video plays it who plays Emily in college.

25:34 Did Damn Yankees at the Masonic temple?

25:38 Hello. Play it one of the

25:41 The local schools

25:44 And stuff but then they decided they were going to raise the money. I think they would they got a donation. I think somebody may have been Mrs. Oldham to renovate the theater and make it usable because it wasn't at that time and they brought me on board is more or less of a

26:07 Theater

26:09 With my theater background in the technical aspects of it is this is what they needed and life done a lot of things and knowledge and I've done a lot like I'm I'm I go to Bacchus twice a week and out. This is and I've done lots of things.

26:33 Yuba used to volunteer at the

26:38 Information booth yeah, they used to have an information. It's still there, but I don't think but it's out and empty right now so that the hospital that was years ago and I was best at

26:59 And I had the time and where might my children were in school, you know, and I could do what I want to do. And yeah, what's the thing that I go for new people that come into the old lady used to have a thing called welcomed or Welcome Wagon in this country. I don't know what it's going to do. Now. They know now but I did that for quite a while but the back is the best. I love it. I've done I've been there about 10 delivery is too. I'm doing it right now and so is everybody has a good hospital it is close by and that good to answer the people that work in that you know, so so we don't we've done a lot I think for Norwich with more even remember

27:57 And I retired in August 9th get a job until December and I applied for a job at with the Norwich Public Works.

28:09 And I got a call from the foreman at Public Works in the nice guys. It's really not what you're at. We're looking for these Public Utilities. Just looking for somebody with your background.

28:24 And I know they had just put the computer into public utilities, and that was not really something I wanted to get back involved with electrician was fine. I had no desire to work in electronics anymore.

28:38 And I went down to City Hall and personnel office and plaid they were looking for a substation electrician.

28:48 So I put my name down.

28:51 Went and took the test finished third.

28:55 And got hired

28:57 Ella Mae's that I passed the test considering I thought it was alignment test.

29:04 I restarted there was a substation electrician and myself and I get Larry leap friend of mine. We work together for many years.

29:13 Anna

29:16 I was just doing all this shows has a theater but that reached a point where I ended up his electric operations superintendent. Probably four.

29:29 Can you show when I retired from there? I knew I had to get some kind of little part time job till I can get my Social Security and all of that and I'm talking to a friend of mine who had a construction company.

29:50 Joyce's will I need an assistant estimator, you know how to read a print but okay.

29:57 So I went to work for George for an estimator for five or six years and then 65.

30:05 Done. I'm going to retire now just do whatever it is I want to do so can I just say not know which has been a different and you know yourself probably is not birthday the cars that come over.

30:25 Tons more and all that. So that means a lot of people more in the place, but you ain't go to

30:37 Three movie theaters three three of them. It was a Sears small Sears and Benny's Penny's Penny's Auto store and only in the store. You would really like that was in.

31:00 Things to call it the Boston store, but had another name anyway, but it was you like it cuz it was something to be all kinds of the homewares and that's the one that we can use. That was a great hulking shoe store. Mr. Tom Brady get your shoes downtown and then they that that happened, you know yourself. I'm sure that as soon as the walls came in. That's so sad because it was great down in Norwich with all these things. We sort of sad about that. So

31:43 Meetings

31:45 I could tell you that I was in living in with my dad might with my dad and them a friend of mine called me up one night and said Mary would you like to go on a blind date? And I thought I know and I said she had at her boyfriend with her I said well, where are we doing going to do and my friends and I didn't know what would you like to do? So I said well Alice I said that that that guy that we liked on a bet he was on a band and he was supposed to be in the band that night. I said let them eat them take us to that because I said so we did that we went in there and they they weren't going yet. You know that.

32:45 I'm so we went to another place for dinner and then we went down to another place so that we could do is get something done. And then when we went back too bad, they wouldn't let me in because I was an old lady Genia George's 217 tell that's how I know she ate and it was fun and it was next to the table. So I had that in there and I said in the phone booth for the evening, but at the time he was only on.

33:46 Trulieve

33:48 It was on leave I was being asked and then so I was working at that time and music and when

33:58 I thought I knew he was going to go way but when and my sister who is at that time, she was in Battle Creek, Michigan. Yes, she wanted me to come and live with her and I would say no no, no. No, but then I heard that shocked when he went is going away. And I said, you know, if a system now, I wish I could see him and if he didn't want me at he wouldn't come up right so that's how it happened.

34:34 Yeah, then the first weekend I'm coming up to see you I get down and then I'm down in Indiana and it was getting headaches ice. I got a hotel room for the night, so I didn't get up to see her and just cuz I need to show up that Friday evening. So I showed up sometime Saturday.

34:59 Make a long story short. I finally got back what I had was a sinus infection, but she she wasn't sure I was coming because I had spent the night in the motel. See I knew that if he didn't want to see me again, I'd be out of it.

35:24 Help

35:27 It's been 53 Goodyear.

35:37 And we got nice family wonderful children and grandchildren and friends over here.

35:48 Don't we go a lot to other in this for summer to England a lot of times cuz I like it, you know and we go we've gone how long will Mary has a cousin she has another cousin in Perth Australia. We had made that one.

36:06 And maybe I don't think we will we travel a lot we do we do.

36:17 That's good. And I love this last we were in Alaska here couple months ago. And now Mary has been in all 50 states. You see my sister lived in Michigan and then she ended up in them as check.

36:42 You're coming out when I return is it? Yeah, we put it with the kids and we took drove right across this place and come back a different part with the we've gotten thinking about it doing it now, but it's nothing much but that is Libra.

37:14 Get one of the girls is saying that and in the next field but want to have a baby and then we're going to be thrilled.

37:40 And my son has a son. Yeah, I think he's 12 Alex 20 years famous boy 22 and he said Norwich obviously.

38:02 Okay.

38:05 We've had a good time. We are we still going thank God you a show but not really people have asked me to and the church and all that but it's hard. It's a lot of work. It's a lot of work and that went went since we did the one that we have to go to this church and then go to another church packing everything up. That was tough. That was tough Mia Gervais now. Yeah. Yeah. Ken will tell you that.

38:57 It's been quite the same.

39:03 Probably bored you to death.