Ai Amano Norton

Ai Norton, age 39, of Livonia, passed away on December 31, 2020. She was born May 8, 1981 in Zama, Kanagawa, Japan; daughter of Kunihito and Hiromi Amano. She was united in marriage to Thomas Norton on August 16, 2007 and celebrated 13 loving years together as husband and wife.

Ai moved to the United States in 2008 to be with her new husband whom she met while he was in Japan for work. They settled in Livonia and started their family, returning to Japan frequently for visits. Ai’s husband’s job moved them to France for a few years where she learned the art of French cuisine from a friend. Her greatest joy in life was spending time with family and friends.

Ai was a devoted mother and adored her children making them her first priority in all she did.  She also worked as a teacher's aide at St. Paul Preschool where she was blessed by the children receiving many smiles and hugs from them over the years. She was an active member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Northville and helped lead an international bible study for a few years, as well as participating in St. Matthew's International Friends group in Walled Lake.

Ai loved being outside in nature and enjoyed snowboarding, camping, and hiking. Some of her favorite trips were backpacking on Isle Royal and Pictured Rocks, camping across at the US National Parks out west, and snowboarding big mountains across the US and Japan.

Ai had a passion for animals, but especially cats. She volunteered with Four Legged Rascals and the Michigan Humane Society. She was also a member of Mitten and Rabbit Book Club, which put a twist on the traditional book club by writing their own pamphlet book based on experiences they had and wanted to share with others.

Ai is survived by her loving husband Thomas Norton; her children, Joshua, Caleb, and Ellie; her cats, Roxy and Chibi; her mother Hiromi Amano; her grandmother, Matsu Arai; her sister Saki Amano ; her father, Kunihito Amano ; her in-laws David and Ellen Norton; her brothers-in-law, Will (Kari) Norton and Jim (Mary) Norton; and her nieces and nephews, Evan, Gabe, Chip, and Keke.