Chuck, who turned 83 in March, writes to his mother, Wilma, in a letter, “Mom, I don’t know what’s more difficult to believe: that you are 102 years old or that you have a son who is 83 years old! Regardless, I’m so grateful you are my mom. I always have been. We’ve been through thick and thin in this life, and we are still going strong.”
We were blessed to celebrate Easter with my mom today. Love you mom! God bless, Chuck Norris
Posted by Chuck Norris on Sunday, 27 March 2016
“I am overwhelmed with gratitude to God for three women’s influence in my life.” the martial artist and actress remarked on her birthday, which is less than two weeks before Mother’s Day. ”I wouldn’t be the man I am without them. Those three women are his granny Scarberry (Wilma’s mom) who died at 90, his mom, and his wife, Gina, whom he married in 1998. The couple have twins, Dakota and Danilee, who were born in 2001.”
Wilma Norris Knight was born in 1921, and Chuck-born Carlos Ray attributes his success to her influence, prayers, and unwavering faith.
Wilma had a difficult childhood as a youngster during the Great Depression. She raised her three sons, the oldest of whom was Chuck, as a single mother while living in poverty.
When Wilma turned 100, Chuck remarked to her that his mom had been an example of faith and determination her entire life. She has also lost two spouses, a stepson, two grandsons, and his younger brother, Wieland, in the Vietnam War. She’s had cancer many times and has had around 30 different operations for various issues, and she’s still alive to tell the tale.
Happy Mothers Day mom! We love and appreciate you.
Posted by Chuck Norris on Sunday, 13 May 2018
Wilma, who still refers to Chuck as Carlos, appeared on The Mike Huckabee Show in May 2012 and openly discussed her life. She described her boys as follows: Chuck is the “defender,” Aaron is the “sunshine,” and Wieland, the youngest who died in Vietnam, is the “hero.”
Wilma remembered that when Chuck was 14 years old, he was the man of the house, taking care of his younger siblings while she worked the night shift and helping her with bill payments. This was after her alcoholic husband abandoned them.
Despite her challenges, Wilma instilled principles in her sons and encouraged them to be warriors. Norris said that making them believe that they can achieve things in life, that there will be obstacles, but if one is persistent enough, one can conquer every challenge in life if one has confidence in oneself.
Chuck grew up in a little town in Oklahoma, admiring heroes like John Wayne, Roy Rogers, and Hopalong Cassidy, so it’s no surprise he became one of Hollywood’s all-time best action performers.
Norris joined the United States Air Force after graduating from high school in 1958, and was stationed at Osan Air Base in South Korea. He enlisted as an air police officer and intended to train as a security officer.
His experience in the Air Force would drastically alter the course of his life.
It was there that he earned the moniker “Chuck,” as well as his insane martial arts talents, gaining a black belt in Tang Soo Do, a style of Korean karate.
After serving in South Korea, Norris was relocated to an air force installation in Riverside County, California, where he worked as an air policeman until 1962, when he was released with the rank of airman first class.
While on the police officer waiting list, he built a martial arts school in Torrance, California, where he was living at the time. His popularity as a martial artist was skyrocketing, and his studios were growing. He won his first championship in 1968 after years of practice, and he retained the title of Karate World Champion for six years until retiring in 1974.
During this period, while teaching martial arts to celebrities, he encountered Bruce Lee, an American martial artist and actor, which led to Chuck’s breakthrough role as Lee’s enemy in the 1972 film The Way of the Dragon.
After securing main parts in Breaker! Breaker! (1977) and Good Guys Wear Black (1978), Norris earned sweeping worldwide popularity, his amazing agility and power dazzling viewers.
Wilma stated of her son on the set of the television programme Walker, Texas Ranger (1993–2001), “The greatest that there is…He really is. He was always my sweet one when he was small.”
Chuck, a grandpa of 13 and father of five, discovered in 1990 that he had a daughter from an affair while married to Dianne Kay Holechek (whom he divorced in 1989). Dina was born in 1963, and he first met her via a letter she addressed to him. Despite his qualms about seeing the lady, he did so since “mother said you were married and we shouldn’t interfere with your family.” Chuck made plans to visit her, and regarding their first encounter, he stated that it’s so amazing since he is looking at her and she’s staring at him, and they simply kind of gravitate towards each other, and they just went into each other’s arms and began weeping.
Chuck’s affection and love for his mom may be seen in his success as an actor and as a father.
Give them lots of love, Wilma says of parenting kids. One should take them to church and Sunday school. But, as one can see, God did not give one’s children. He just lent them to one for a short time.
Wilma, have a wonderful Mother’s Day! We hope your son is correct and that you have many more years to rejoice!
