Martial arts action star-turned online columnist Chuck Norris is mourning the loss of his mother this week.
Norris on Friday shared on social media that his 103-year-old mom, Wilma Norris Knight, had died on Wednesday.
“Our mom was a woman of unwavering faith, a beacon of light in our lives, and her love reflected God’s grace. Growing up, her laughter filled our home with joy, and her hugs provided a sense of safety that we will forever cherish,” he wrote alongside several images of them over the decades.
He continued to say that “she had a remarkable way of making everyone feel special, often putting the needs of others before her own.”
“From my earliest memories, she taught me the importance of kindness and compassion,” he wrote. “I am so thankful for the countless lessons she shared, the prayers she lifted for us, and the way she embodied the love of Christ every day.”
“We love you, Mom,” Norris added.
Chuck Norris has shared stories of Mom for years
The 84-year-old “Walker, Texas Ranger” star has publicly shared several anecdotes about his mother over the years. When she released a book in 2011 titled “Acts of Kindness: My Story” − described as a “collectible of Christian stories for those on a journey towards Christ” − he promoted her work and sold copies that were autographed by her on his website.
Norris Knight promoted her book on Mike Huckabee’s former Fox News show in 2012, when she was 91 years old.
In a 2021 column celebrating Norris Knight’s 100th birthday, Norris described his mother’s childhood living in the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression as “a very difficult first half of her life.” She was born on May 4, 1921, in Wilson, Oklahoma − where Norris was also raised.
“She was raised in abject poverty, and she was given away as a ward of the state when she was only 8 years old. She was treated for two years for a rare disease, living away from the family in a children’s hospital,” Norris wrote.
He added this his mother married his father at the age of 16 “but was abandoned to raise her three boys all alone.”
“I was the eldest, and often had to assume the roles of my absent father,” he wrote. “We were as poor as church mice, but that’s what also prepared me to overcome the obstacles of this life.”
Describing his mom as “an example of perseverance and faith,” Norris revealed that after battling cancer “repeatedly,” she was “the last survivor of her 11-member biological family.” She outlived her two husbands, a stepson, two grandchildren and Norris’ younger brother Wieland, who died during the Vietnam War.
