Burdett – Mary Beth Norris passed on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

She was born in Burdett/Larned June 6, 1950. She was educated in the Burdett schools until the consolidation with the Rozel high school her junior and senior year. She attended and graduated from Ft. Hays State University with a music/fine arts degree. She taught for the Hays School District for three years before moving to Steamboat Springs, Colorado in about 1976. She was a private music teacher of the pennywhistle and flute and is estimated to have taught over 3,500 students according to the Executive Director of the Colorado Suzuki Institute. She founded the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra that is going strong yet today.

She is survived by her husband, Mark Fischer, and daughter, Catherine (Fischer) Shaw, her grandson, Wesley Shaw, as well as her two brothers, Geoffrey Norris (Burdett, KS) and Bob Norris (Plano, TX) and many nieces and nephews and grandnieces and nephews. Mary Beth’s Steamboat Springs memorial was held June 23 and attended by and estimated 450-500 people at the Strings Music Pavillion with another 200 viewing the service by livestream.

All are welcomed to join the Norris/Fischer families at the graveside inurnment service this Friday, July 17, 4:00 at the Brown’s Grove Cemetery, Burdett, Kansas.

In honor of Mary Beth's lifelong passion for music education, her family has asked that memorial gifts be made in support of the "Steamboat Symphony Orchestra" and the "Mary Beth Norris Music Scholarship Fund”, a fund of the Yampa Valley Community Foundation", instead of flowers.