"Living Legend" was My Uncle.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/norman-kwong-dies-1.3747346

It's been just over a year since Uncle Normie passed away.  More and more of the Lee family are slipping away.  And this saddens me.  Yet, what a special and significant influence all of my aunts, uncles, parents and grandparents have had on me.  They have each made me who I am today.

Uncle Normie was special.  He was super funny, always teasing me.  And yet he had a quiet-nature to him.  While he was well-known and famous, he had a "homebody" nature to him. He was content staying at home, watching TV, baking bread and being a devoted family man. 

We would go to restaurants, and people would approach him all the time.  And he would always greet his fans cordially.  Must have been overwhelming for him, especially someone reserved by nature.  

People would say, and still say today, I come from "royalty".  Or "you're like the Kennedy family but in Canada" because there are so many successful, community-oriented family members of the Lee Clan. 

But to me, my family is my family.  My Uncle Norm was just my uncle.  Football fame was long before I came in the picture.  Uncle Normie never flaunted his fame (he didn't have to).  He never gave the impression that he was better than anyone else.  He was simply someone who worked hard, even with the prejudices he encountered, and succeeded in the process.  He had a blessed and fulfilled life. 

My kids never knew him in his heyday.  They just knew him as a "great uncle".  They realized the influence he had on Alberta when they attended his "state funeral".  We were driven in limousines with police escorting us on motorcycles.  Streets and highways were barricaded for our caravan of limousines.  One of my "nieces" said she felt like a rockstar.

Speakers at the service included the current Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, the Premier of Alberta, Former Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper, Wally Buono (football coach), Jim Peplinski (former hockey player).  My cousin, Brian, was the emcee.  I read Psalm 23.  My cousin, Peter, gave the message.  It was quite the event.  What an experience for my kids.  What an honour I had to be his "favourite niece"!!!!

What I have learned from Uncle Normie is that family comes first.  That is what stands out most to me.  Secondly, dreams can come true if you work hard and overcome your obstacles.  Thirdly, greet everyone warmly, kindly and with lots of humour. 

Miss you, Uncle Norm.  You will always be my "Living Legend".