Norman L. Kwong was a former professional football player, sport executive, commercial real estate executive and entrepreneurial businessman.
He was a first-generation Chinese-Canadian, grew up in Calgary and graduated from Western Canada High School. He played professional football for the Calgary Stampeders and then for the Edmonton Eskimos until his retirement in 1960. Altogether winning 4 Grey Cups and holding numerous records during his career. He was the Canadian Athlete of the Year in 1955, inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1969, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1975, and the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1980.
He became part owner of the Calgary Flames in 1980 and was president and general manager of the Calgary Stampeders from 1988 to 1992. In appreciation of his participation in bringing the Flames Hockey Team to Calgary, donors endowed the “Normie Kwong Bursary” at the University of Calgary, which is awarded annually to a deserving student in medicine.
He has been the recipient of many awards, been involved with a number of charitable organizations over the years and is a member of the Order of Canada (1998), the 2005 CBE Distinguished Alumni, and Chancellor of the Alberta Order of Excellence (2005).
His tenure as Alberta’s 16th Lieutenant Governor was an honor as he was able to serve Albertans in an official capacity from 2005 to 2010.
He was also a devoted family man having been married to his wife Mary for over 56 years (until his passing) and also raised four sons who in turn provided 4 daughters in law and 10 grandchildren.
Https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/norman-kwong-dies-1.3747346
