Judee Norris

Judee Carol Norris, 73, of Cleburne, Texas, passed away peacefully at home on September 1, 2025, surrounded by her family. Born on February 22, 1952, in Cisco, Texas, Judee lived a life defined by loyalty, laughter, and love. She was the wife of Michael, Momma to her Sonshine & Bee, Mother-in-Love to Taylor & David and Mini-Ma to Benjamin.

To know Judee was to be welcomed into her world with open arms. She was the life of every party, event, and gathering she attended — the one with a quick wit, a radiant smile, and a hug that lingered just long enough to remind you how deeply you were loved. She never let anyone leave without a kiss, a hug, a reminder to call/text when you made it home, and a long waving goodbye standing outside until you couldn’t see each other anymore.

She gave nicknames that stuck, offered wisdom and advice when you needed it, and created a sense of family wherever she went. Her home was always filled with the sound of country music on the radio, the smell of something cooking in the kitchen, and her laughter spilling into every corner. Her chicken spaghetti was legendary, and Thanksgiving wasn’t complete without her chicken and dressing. If she wasn’t in the kitchen, she could be found tending her flower beds, hands in the dirt, making beauty bloom all around her.

She was fiercely loyal — a protector of her family and a friend you could count on without hesitation. Judee poured herself into those she loved, always putting others before herself. She cherished life’s simple joys: music, laughter, family, food, traveling, and her dogs.

In her final days, her loved ones gathered together with her to share stories she had heard and lived with them: funny stories, bringing laughter & tender stories, bringing tears. The stories shared out loud with her, knowing she was listening and praying she knew how much she was truly and fiercely loved.

Judee is preceded in death by her parents, William Cull Smith and Nettie Faye Hunt, and her brother, Gary Smith.

She is survived by her devoted husband of 49 years, Michael Norris; her children, Chad Norris and his wife, Taylor and Britnee Norris and her husband, David; her grandson, Benjamin Bednar; siblings Gean Ray, Johnny Smith, Debbee Smith, and Dale Smith and his wife, Jan; and countless friends and extended family who will carry forward her legacy of love and laughter.

A celebration of Judee’s life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at Crosier-Pearson Cleburne Funeral Home Chapel, with Mr. Jeromy Peacock officiating. Interment will follow at Rosehill Cemetery, Cleburne, Texas. The family kindly asks you to dress colorfully in celebration of Judee’s life.

Though our time with her was not nearly long enough, we are grateful for the love she gave so freely and the joy she brought to every life she touched. Her memory will live on in every laugh shared, every hug given, every moment when country music plays just a little too loud, every swipe of the mascara (because you best not leave the house without it, you never know who you might run into) and every attempt we all make trying to recreate her chicken and dressing recipe.