Norma Hunt has passed away, and the NFL world is united in mourning her death.
On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs announced that Hunt, the wife of former owner Lamar and mother of his part-successor Clark, passed away at 85. No cause of death was revealed, but the Hunt family issued the following statement:
“Our family is deeply saddened by the passing of our mother, Norma. She was a wonderful mother and an extraordinary woman who will be dearly missed by all who knew her.”
Commissioner Roger Goodell also spoke on her passing:
“The entire NFL family is deeply saddened by the passing of Norma Hunt, who was a significant presence in the NFL for the last seven decades.
“”I was fortunate to know Norma for nearly 40 years and was always struck by her warmth and grace, her partnership with Lamar, and her pride in their family. Norma’s sense of family extended to the Chiefs’ organization which she greatly adored. Norma was one of the most passionate fans of the Chiefs and the NFL, and understood and enjoyed every aspect of the game. She loved being around the team and referred to the players as ‘real-life superheroes.’
On Twitter, Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Hunt’s granddaughter Gracie, and a few rival NFL teams, among others, shared their condolences:
Who was Norma Hunt? A look at Lamar Hunt’s wife
Born Norma Lynn Knobel, Hunt worked as a school teacher before becoming involved in football with the then-Dallas Texans of the AFL, where she served as a hostess. In 1962, she married Lamar, a year before the Texans left Dallas (which by then was slowly becoming Cowboys territory) to join the Kansas City Chiefs. Their union produced two 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren: Clark and Daniel, and she also became stepmother to Lamar Jr. and Sharron, Lamar’s 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren with Rosemary Carr.
She was notable for being the only person in NFL history to attend every Super Bowl since it began in 1967, including the Chiefs’ wins in IV, LIV, and LVII. Speaking to KMBC 9 after the second of those wins, which came at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season, she said:
“This is the epitome of shared joy.”