Chuck Norris Celebrates Mother’s 102nd Birthday: A Night Shift Heroine Who Lifted Her Sons from Poverty

On May 4, Chuck Norris hung out with his mom to celebrate her 102nd birthday. He shared a sweet message, saying she’s full of life and might live another 100 years!

Chuck, who turned 83 in March, wrote a letter to his mom, Wilma, for her 102nd birthday. He said, “Mom, it’s hard to believe you’re 102, and also that I’m 83! But I’m really thankful you’re my mom. We’ve been through a lot together, and we’re still going strong.”

With her birthday close to Mother’s Day, Chuck expressed gratitude to God for three important women in his life. These women are his granny Scarberry (Wilma’s mom), who lived to 90, his mom Wilma, and his wife Gina, whom he married in 1998. Chuck and Gina have twins, Dakota and Danilee, born in 2001.

Wilma Norris Knight was born in 1921, and Chuck, whose real name is Carlos Ray, gives credit to her for making him who he is today. Despite growing up during the Great Depression, Wilma faced tough times and raised her three boys, with Chuck being the oldest, all on her own because she was a single mom.

When Wilma turned 100, Chuck spoke about her, saying, “My mom has shown me how to keep going, no matter what. She went through hard times, losing two husbands, a stepson, two grandchildren, and my younger brother Wieland in the Vietnam War. She battled cancer many times and had around 30 surgeries for different reasons, but she’s still here, telling her story.”

Happy Birthday Mom! 101 years YOUNG! WOW! :)There are no words to describe how much I love and appreciate you. Thank you for everything you have done for us over the many years God has blessed us together.

Posted by Chuck Norris on Wednesday, May 4, 2022

In May 2012, Wilma, who still calls Chuck “Carlos,” went on The Mike Huckabee Show and openly talked about her life. She described her sons, saying Chuck is the “defender,” Aaron is her “sunshine,” and Wieland, the youngest who passed away in Vietnam, was her “hero.”

After her husband left due to alcohol problems, Wilma shared that when Chuck was just 14, he became the man of the house. He took care of his younger brothers while she worked the night shift and even helped with paying the bills.

Even though Wilma faced tough times, she taught her boys important values and encouraged them to be strong. Chuck mentioned, “She made us believe that we can achieve things in life, that there will be obstacles but if you’re determined enough, you can overcome any obstacle in life if you have belief in yourself.”

Chuck was born in 1940, growing up in a small town in Oklahoma. He was inspired by stars like John Wayne, Roy Rogers, and Hopalong Cassidy, which explains why he became one of Hollywood’s greatest action stars.

Happy Mothers Day mom! We love and appreciate you.

Posted by Chuck Norris on Sunday, May 13, 2018

After finishing high school in 1958, Chuck Norris joined the United States Air Force and worked at Osan Air Base in South Korea. He started as an air policeman and had plans to train as security police.

Being in the Air Force turned out to be a positive turning point in his life. It was during this time that he got the nickname “Chuck.” Additionally, he learned martial arts and earned a black belt in Tang Soo Do, a type of Korean karate.

Once he finished his service in South Korea, Chuck was moved to an air force base in Riverside County, California. There, he continued as an air policeman until he left the Air Force in 1962 with the rank of airman first class.

While waiting to become a police officer, Chuck opened a martial arts studio in Torrance, California, where he lived. His martial arts skills gained him a lot of success, and his studios kept growing. He practiced and won his first title in 1968, holding the Karate World Champion title for six years until he retired in 1974.

During this period, Chuck Norris trained famous people in martial arts, and that’s when he met Bruce Lee, who was an American martial artist and actor. This meeting led to Chuck’s big break in the movie “The Way of the Dragon” (1972), where he played Bruce Lee’s opponent.

After that, Chuck became super successful globally. His amazing agility and strength thrilled fans, especially when he got main roles in movies like “Breaker! Breaker!” (1977) and “Good Guys Wear Black” (1978).

Later, when Chuck visited the set of the popular TV show “Walker, Texas Ranger” (which aired from 1993 to 2001), his mom, Wilma, spoke proudly of him, saying, “He’s the greatest there is… really. He was always my sweet one when he was small.”

Chuck Norris, a grandfather to 13 and a father of five, found out in 1990 that he had a daughter from a past relationship while he was married to Dianne Kay Holechek (they divorced in 1989). The daughter, Dina, was born in 1963, and Chuck only got to know about her when she sent a letter to his home. At first, Chuck was unsure about meeting her, as she mentioned, “mother said you were married, and we shouldn’t interfere with your family.” Eventually, they met, and Chuck shared, “I look at her, and it’s so amazing because I’m looking at her, and she’s staring at me, and we just sort of gravitate toward each other and went into each other’s arms and started crying.”

Chuck’s deep love and respect for his mother played a significant role in his success as an actor and as a family man.

Regarding Wilma’s advice on raising children, she said, “Give them lots of love. Take them to church and Sunday school. But you see, God didn’t give us our children. He only loaned them to us for a while.”

We were blessed to celebrate Easter with my mom today. Love you mom! God bless, Chuck Norris

Posted by Chuck Norris on Sunday, March 27, 2016