Norma Narviz

All the words you’d use to describe a good mother—that’s who Norma Lee Narviz was. She was a nurturer who loved to feed and care for others. She was a selfless giver who put the needs of others above her own. And she loved unconditionally, no matter who you were or where life had taken you. 

Norma was born on October 24, 1960 in San Angelo, Texas to Maria de Jesus Esparza and Macario Liserio Zapata, Jr. Her childhood was cut short after her mother passed when she was just 13 years old, leaving her to help raise her brother and sisters—Edward Zapata, Irene Torres, Peggy Holcomb, and Liz Zapata. She also had an older half brother, Armando Melgoza.

Norma met Jessie Narviz, the man she would spend the rest of her life with, when they were both teenagers. She was immediately drawn to him because he was fit and tall (though she would later learn that it was just his high-soled shoes), and he was drawn to her wit and beauty. They got married on May 31, 1975, Jessie joined the Marines, and they escaped to North Carolina to start their lives together. 

In 1980, their first daughter Ivett Narviz Ramirez was born, and Norma was back in mom mode. Their next base assignment led them to California in 1984 where they had their first and only son, Anthony “AJ” Narviz. Norma’s worries about her father made her more and more homesick, so they moved back to San Angelo and bought a small house. Then in 1992, her youngest daughter Jennifer Narviz Jones made her appearance—her “miracle baby” as she called her. 

Norma went back to school at Howard for her Associate’s degree, and then got her Bachelor’s degree from Angelo State University. Her passion for caring for others led her into teaching, then into CPS case work until she retired.

Norma may not have been a deeply religious woman, but she was a spiritual one. She believed that if you dropped a spoon or fork on the floor, you better step on it because an unexpected visitor was coming. She believed watching scary movies brought those spirits into your home. And she believed that karma would always come back to you.

Besides her children, she fiercely loved her grandchildren: Daniel Narviz, Yvanna Narviz, Tristan Narviz, Nathan Palos, Cadence Palos, and Aiden Narviz. She also loved her nephew Aaron Holcomb, daughter-in-law Crystal Narviz, and sons-in-law Ren Jones and Joey Ramirez like they were one of her own kids. She had many friends, but her best friends were Shannon Zuniga, Rhonda Varney, and Mandy Archer.

Norma also loved to dance. Before her legs failed her, she could spend the whole night on the dance floor, which she and Jessie often did when they were younger. A few nights before she passed, she appeared in her daughter Ivett’s dream. In it, she jumped out of her hospice bed, danced with joy, and said not to be sad or worried–she could dance again. 

Norma cumbia’ed into the night sky around 10:24 p.m. on December 23, 2023 at the Sterling County Nursing Home. Her family would like to give a special thank you to her nurses at Shannon hospital who Norma described as being “like family,” and to the nurses at Sterling County Nursing Home who helped make her final days as joyful and comfortable as possible.

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