Troy Parris Norris

Services for Troy Parris Norris, 84, of Iuka is set for Thursday, December 6, 2018 at 1:00pm at Corinth National Cemetery with Military Honors. Visitation will Wednesday, December 5, 2018 from 5:00pm-8:00pm at Magnolia Funeral Home. Bro. Tommy Wilson and Rev. Kim Ratliff will officiate the service. Born February 13, 1934 in Austinville, AL, Troy passed from this life on December 1, 2018 in Iuka, MS . He was a member of Ebenezer United Methodist Church in Conyers, GA and served on the church administration board and Pastor Parrish Committee. Troy was a 1952 graduate from Augusta Tilghman High School in Paducah, Kentucky. After high school, he attended Georgia Tech University and graduated in 1958 with a degree in Civil and Industrial Engineering. His college honors included President Inter-Fraternity Council; President Block T Club; Vice- President Phi Kappa Tau Social Fraternity; ANAK Society; Who’s Who Phi Kappa Tau; Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges; I.F.C Honor Board, I.F.C. Trial Board; Bull Dog Club; Ramblin Reck Club; Pershing Rifles; Chairman Greek Week; Wesley Foundation and Varsity Track. While at Georgia Tech, he received the ANAK award which is granted annually to an outstanding Georgia Tech Junior/Senior and is considered the most prestigious award of its kind. Following college, he pursued his success as an engineer, consultant, and salesman. He also furthered his education to obtain a Doctorate Degree in Philosophy. He was known to have some unique talents and was able to work behind the scenes to move things along. Some of his business positions included Governmental Relations for Dickey Clay Pipe Company in Bessemer, Alabama. He served as National Manager of Sales/Promotions for Gulf Spiral Engineered Systems. Troy also spent time as a National Sales Promotion Manager for Chevron Chemical Spirolite Corporation in Norcross, Georgia. Mr. Norris also worked as a salesman/engineer for Hydro Conduit Corporation in Lithonia, Georgia. He was Vice President for Technical Services for Environmental Services in Conyers, Georgia. Dr. Norris was a Co-founder of ConShield which is the biotech armor for concrete. He was instrumental in assisting Dr. Tom Iseley with a curriculum for Louisiana Tech University in Trenchless Technology and Buried Asset Management. Not only was Norris on the first Board of the Corinth Urban Renewal Board of Commissioners, he also served as a chairman of the Corinth Urban Renewal Administration. He initiated the first of many programs in Corinth, MS. Beginning in 1965, he worked with almost every department in Washington and coordinated a broad spectrum of federal aids through one citizens group. Within a span of four years, the CURA completed sixteen units of moderate-income housing and thirty units of public housing as well as completed a half-million dollar Head Start program which included 2,000 students. They also started an eleven-county Neighborhood Youth Corps which is considered one of the most successful in the nation. He spearheaded the Manpower Development Training Program which was credited with making skilled labor out of unskilled laborers and raised the general education level of the enrollees an average of three high school grades during the twenty-week course. Another accomplishment of Norris, was beginning an On-the-Job Training program at the community’s largest industrial plant, formerly known as ITT. Some of his additional accomplishments include: administering thirty-two Small Business Administration poverty loans totaling $750,000, funding for building a new Municipal Building which is now known as the Corinth City Hall, and building a new Federally-aided city-county hospital at a cost of nearly two million dollars. Not only was Troy instrumental in the revision the city code for the first time in more than seventy-five years, he also assisted in mapping project for the entire city. A Community Action Program was developed which developed four component recommendations for additional programs to attack the causes of blight and poverty in the community. Troy also served as Chairman of Mississippi Regional Housing Authority Number One which is now Tennessee Valley Regional Housing Authority. He was a man with a vision for Corinth, Mississippi which was to get as much federal funding for this area in a time of renewal and reurbanization to help those in need. He was on the staff at The Governor’s Office in Mississippi during the time of Governor Bill Waller in the 1970’s and served as his Executive Assistant for the Office of Community Development and Housing. In a February 12, 1972 Tupelo, Mississippi weekend newspaper article it was noted that Governor Waller stated that “Norris provided technical assistance to realtors, all branches of county and municipal government, banking institutions, and non-profit housing authority located in Northeast Mississippi”. He spent much of his time as a lobbyist for the Concrete Pipe Association. Troy was an advisor to both President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson. It wasn’t unusual for big businesses to have someone that was an employee to be on The Presidential Support Staff. He served that position with involvement in Washington D.C. in the 70’s when Jimmy Carter was President. Before retiring, he was instrumental in the City of Atlanta Watershed. He was employed as an advisor for Mayor Shirley Franklin and The City of Atlanta,Georgia. He assisted her in the success and advancement of trenchless technology. He graduate from The Command and General Staff College in St Louis, MO He transferred to Retired Reserved of the United States Army on the Twenty-Fifth Day of November 1986. He honorably retired as Lieutenant Colonel from the United States Army on the Thirteenth Day of February One Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety Four. Troy is survived by his daughters: Jan Glover (Brian) of Southaven, MS, Michelle Doran (Larry) of Corinth and Stephanie Eaton (Charles) of Corinth; sons: Michael Troy Norris McCurdy (Debbie) of Leonard Town, Maryland, Charles Norris (Kim) of Laurnes, SC. and Steve Norris (Madeline)of Holland, MI; 14 grandchildren: Erica Hill (Cody), Kyle Doran, Blake Doran, Preslee Sartain, Hannah Eaton, Laken Eaton, Brett Glover (Sarah), David Norris (Kristina), Inga Holmes (Matt), Abby Graham (Kyle), Chris McCurdy (Erin), Kathryn McCurdy, Philip McCurdy and Staci Gaschler; 10 great grandchildren; nephews, Dr. Gerald Norris (Debbie) of Birmingham, AL, Roger Norris of Tuscumbia, AL; other relatives and a host of friends. He is preceded in death by his father, Jonathan Marvin Norris; mother, Idella Lott Norris Sparkman and his brother, Tillman Oakley Norris. Pallbearers will be Larry Doran, Kyle Doran, Blake Doran, Charles Eaton and Cody Hill. Magnolia Funeral Home is honored to care for the family of Mr. Troy Parris Norris.