Norma Hunt, Wife of Kansas City Chiefs Founder Lamar Hunt, Dead at 85
Norma Hunt, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt, has died, the team announced. She was 85 years old. Her death comes nearly 17 years after Lamar Hunt died of prostate cancer. The cause of death was not revealed.
"Kind, generous and unfailingly positive, mom was one of a kind. Her joy and zeal for life were infectious," the Hunt family said in a statement. "She loved caring for others, and she always had an encouraging word. She was a loyal friend, the consummate hostess and she had a rare ability to make everyone she encountered feel valued and at ease."
We mourn the passing of Norma Hunt.
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) June 4, 2023
"Mom was steadfastly devoted to her family and fiercely passionate about her family's sports teams. She was by our father Lamar's side every step of the way – from the merger of the AFL and the NFL to the formation of Major League Soccer, World Championship Tennis, the North American Soccer League, and their founding investment in the Chicago Bulls. She was the only person we knew who rivaled his love of sports. The two of them found such joy together, whether at home, or in stadium stands around the world."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell also released a statement, highlighting something Norma did that no other woman in NFL history has done. "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," Goodell said. "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.' Norma attended every Super Bowl ever played, including the two recent Chiefs' victories, and was the only woman to do so."
Norma and Lamar Hunt got married in 1964 and had two sons, Daniel and Clark who is the current chairman in CEO of the Chiefs. At that time, the Chiefs just moved to Kansas City from Dallas and already won an AFL Championship. The team won another AFL title in 1966 and its first Super Bowl in 1969. Norma saw the Chiefs win the Super Bowl in February 2020 and again in February this year.