Norma Dell Dunlap Harris

Norma Dell Dunlap Harris of Georgetown, Texas, died peacefully on January 7, 2025. She was born on July 8, 1934, to A. R. and Naomi (Gibson) Dunlap in Clifton, Texas. She spent her formative years in and around Waco, where she was active in drama and speech activities. At age 13, she was the first representative of a junior high school to be selected to the all-star cast at the State Interscholastic League Meet in Austin, after previously being named best actress in both district and region against junior and senior high school competition. As a senior, she portrayed Celeste in the Waco High School production of Drums of Death, and she graduated in 1952 and attended the University of Texas at Austin as a Drama major. Filling the title role of Peter Pan in December 1954 was a highlight of her time at UT, and she remembered “flying” with great fondness.

After college, Norma traveled to Europe with her dear friend Lola and created memories that lasted the rest of her life. She returned to Austin and worked at Scarborough’s Department Store, where she met her future husband, Jack Harris. They were married on August 25, 1961. They lived in Austin while Jack completed his PhD at UT. All three of their children were born in Austin before the family moved to Ohio for Jack to teach at the University of Toledo. When an opportunity to return to Texas arose, the young family moved to Georgetown, where Jack was born and grew up. When the children were older, Norma returned to UT for her master’s degree in library sciences (now The School of Information). During her studies, she worked with emerging computer systems and accurately predicted that technology would play an enormous role in the future.  She worked for the State Comptroller’s Office under Bob Bulloch and helped transition the Texas motor vehicle registration paper file system to a computerized database. With an opportunity to work in Georgetown, and give up the commute, she became a librarian with Georgetown ISD, a position she maintained until her retirement.  Even though it was an enormous task, Norma was proud to have digitized the library at McCoy Elementary.

Norma and Jack were world travelers, visiting the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, China, Thailand and many other countries. She had, like all good librarians, an encyclopedic knowledge of details and trivia; she was the go-to source for information. She was always a lover of puzzles, and the family often suggested she audition for Jeopardy!

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Jack, and both her parents. She is survived by her children and grandchildren: Brian Harris and wife Michelle (Gee) and their children Colin and Elizabeth; Stephen Harris and wife Bridget (Patke) and their children George and Poppy; and Angela Harris and husband Perry Duke. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews, cousins and friends. She was a cancer survivor, and donations to the American Cancer Society are encouraged.