Norm!
Hilary Norman Peterson passed away this week at the age of 76.
Originally from Chicago, a childhood visit to the Boston Garden convinced Norm that a city in Massachusetts would be the place where everybody knows his name. Mr. Peterson, or as everyone who knew him called him, “Norm!” served his country in the armed forces before leaving the military to become an accountant and finally call Boston home.
He frequently patronized local bar Cheers, run at the time by former Boston Red Sox pitcher Sam Malone, where he would become a fixture of the local community.
Norm even appeared in ads filmed in the bar, including a spoof in which Sox great Luis Tiant needed a little help from his former playing buddy Sam.
Although Peterson often talked fondly about the Boston Celtics, who racked up a list of titles as long as his bar tab, Norm was a diehard fan of his buddy Sam’s Red Sox, and witnessed four World Series Championships over the course of his life. All those nights at Cheers bemoaning yet another loss or error or blown save finally had a happy payoff.
It’s rumored that he sat on his bar stool along the parade route of the “rolling rally” in 2004 and waved to Manny Ramirez. And had Sam been issued a ring for any of those he surely would have let Norm try it on.
Like many retirees, Norm would find his way to Florida and adopt the Tampa Bay Rays as his local team. He even got to throw out a first pitch, although that might have been a frequent drinkers reward for the ballpark beer purchases that definitely are not outstanding on his tab.
Kim Klement-Imagn Images
Norm is survived by his wife Vera and his friends Sam “Mayday” Malone, Postmaster General Cliff Clavin, Diane Chambers, and Carla Tortelli.
Photo by Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images