Bob Norris was born in Santa Rosa, California, the son of English-born parents, and spent his early years in the United States and England, also serving in World War II with the United States Army. He attended London Polytechnic where he played on the basketball team and was one of three players, alongside Lionel Price and Trevor Davies, who were selected to play on the Great Britain basketball team at the 1948 Olympics in London. Norris later moved back to the United States by the 1980s, first settling in Calabasas, California before moving to Oregon, where he remained until his death.