Adam Teicher, ESPN Staff WriterJun 4, 2023, 08:16 PM EST
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Norma Hunt, who as the wife of the late Kansas City Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt attended all 57 Super Bowl games, has died, the Hunt family announced in a statement released by the team. She was 85 years old. No cause of death was given.
“Kind, generous and unfailingly positive, mom was one of a kind,” the Hunts said in their statement. “Her joy and zeal for life were infectious. 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.
“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.”
In a statement released by the NFL, commissioner Roger Goodell said he had known Hunt for nearly 40 years and that he was always “struck by her warmth and grace.”
“Norma’s sense of family extended to the Chiefs’ organization which she greatly adored,” the statement read. “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.”
Lamar Hunt died in 2006. Their son Clark has been chairman of the Chiefs ever since.
In February, Norma Hunt was able to attend her 57th Super Bowl and watch the Chiefs take home the victory for the third time in franchise history. In May, the team announced it will visit the White House Monday. “Mrs. Norma was the best. Glad to be a part of this special organization she help build. She will be missed! Prayers to the entire Hunt family,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said.