Curtis L. Norris dies of injuries from I.E.D.

DANSVILLE, Mich. - A 28-year-old Lansing-area Army sergeant was killed Saturday in Iraq, devastating the holidays for his family in Michigan.

Curtis L. Norris died in Baghdad of wounds he received when an improvised explosive device went off near his vehicle, the Defense Department said Tuesday.

Instead of celebrating Christmas, William and Connie Norris are planning their son's funeral. The presents in their home sit unopened.

"You don't think about Christmas when this happens," William Norris told the Lansing State Journal.

The Norris family lives in Ingham County's Ingham Township, near Dansville and about 60 miles west of Detroit.

Curtis Norris served with the 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum, N.Y.

He "believed in what he was doing," his father said. "He had a positive attitude toward what was going on in Iraq. He told me more than once he was willing to go back. We didn't want him to, but he was willing."

Curtis Norris was four months into his second tour of Iraq, and a year from leaving the Army for good. His unit had moved closer to Baghdad and was serving in convoys.

He leaves a wife, Rose, and a 5-year-old daughter, Kira Marie, both living now in New York.

William Norris described his son as "a good kid" who liked bodybuilding and would shoot baskets for hours in the family's back yard. He had hoped to go into law enforcement when he left the military.

"They felt like they were doing what they needed to do," William Norris said. "Despite the political things that are going on, I'm proud of him. I see no reason not to be."

Barb Myers, Curtis Norris' grandmother, said his death has been devastating for their close-knit family.

"You couldn't ask for a more gentle, loving person than Curt," she said. "He was always happy-go-lucky, always had a smile for you.

"We're going to miss him dearly."

William Norris said he "pretty much lost it" when the family got the news on Saturday night.

"I've been in and out of crying," he said. "My wife, she's taking it considerably quieter than I am, but I can see just by the look on her face that she's physically worn out."

From WOOD 8