Norma Louise Harrison

Norma was a resident of Hilton Head Island SC and lived with her husband Don K. Harrison. She was born on April 9, 1925, and died on November 22, 2024, at the age of ninety-nine (99).  She was the daughter of the late Plummer (P.B.) and Alice (Cooper) Richardson, Nashville, NC, owners of the well-known Richardson’s Funeral Home.  The oldest of 2 children, her brother Plummer (P.A.) preceded her in death in 2012.  After her early education in Nashville, NC schools, Norma enrolled at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) formerly North Carolina College for Negroes. She pursued a pre-medical curriculum and received a B.S degree in 1945. She met her first husband while an administrative support employee at the War Department during World War II.

Her first marriage was to the late Harold Kelly, M.D., an OBGYN specialist.  Three children were born (the late Harold Jr., Rhonda, and Alice).  She traveled widely and lived variously in Greenville, NC, Jersey City, NJ, Shaker Heights, OH, Paris, France, and Grand Bahama Island.  Norma lived in the Bahamas for over 10 years when she was married to Irving Israel, a New York City attorney. They moved to Hilton Head in the early 1980s because of Irving Israel’s needs. After his death, she married the late Sam Gill, a music faculty member at Savannah State University and member of the Savannah Jazz Hall of Fame.  At her 50th class reunion at NCCU, Norma reconnected with a ‘homeboy’ and Nashville, NC native Don K. Harrison, Professor at the University of Michigan. They were married in 1997 for over 27 years. Her life was very active until medical challenges in 2009.

Socially prominent, Norma was an emeriti member of Girl Friends, Inc. and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She enjoyed gaming, and was known for her outgoing personality, hospitality, charm, and stylish attire. In the early 1990s, Norma (with friend Sybil Clark), organized the Couples Club, a currently active group of 10 couples, that meet monthly, just like the club she organized In Shaker Heights. Its purpose - social interaction! Each couple was responsible for entertaining members monthly on a rotating basis.  Club meetings included catered dinners in members’ homes with live music, and group travels in and out of the country. Norma and spouses often entertained at the popular Hilton Head Jazz Corner at Wexford.  A great lover of music, she was very active in First Sunday Jazz, a monthly event with performances by local and nationally known jazz artists.  The Golden Rose was another favorite spot, where she was hostess gratis, and musician performed on weekends. 

Norma was an early member of Island Lutheran Church (ILC), from its early founding. At ILC she served as a greeter, member of the Eucharist Committee, and she hosted church ‘Dinners for 8’ in her home. During her early life, she was a member of the Galatia AME Church, Nashville, N.C.  

She is survived by her devoted husband Don; her two daughters, Rhonda Blackshear (Michael) and Alice Parris; stepdaughter Denise L. Harrison, along with a host of cousins, nephews, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

A funeral service will take place on Saturday, November 30, 2024, at 11:00 am at Union Hill Baptist Church in Nashville, NC with interment following in the church cemetery.