Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Former Flaget, Kentucky and Miami Dolphins quarterback Rick Norton dies at 69
Rick Norton, a Flaget High School and University of Kentucky great who later played quarterback for the Miami Dolphins during their inaugural season in 1966, died Thursday in Louisville. He was 69.
John Norton said his brother had battled heart disease and died of natural causes.
Rick Norton was a first-team All-State selection by The Courier-Journal in 1961 as a senior at Flaget. Coach Paulie Miller called him “the best passer in the United States.”
He played three seasons (1963-65) at UK and was a team co-captain as a senior, when the Wildcats finished 6-4. He was named a first-team All-American by Time Magazine and NBC.
In 1966 he was drafted by both professional leagues, choosing the AFL’s Dolphins over the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. He played in 31 games over four seasons (1966-69) for the Dolphins, starting 11 of them. He played in one game for the Green Bay Packers in 1970 before retiring from football.
John Norton said his brother later worked in construction in Lexington before taking jobs in state government. He worked for Kentucky State Parks and also was executive director of the Kentucky State Racing Commission during Gov. Martha Layne Collins’ tenure from 1983-87.
He is survived by a son, Rick Jr., and two daughters, Stacey and Cindy. Funeral arrangements are pending.
Monday, July 8, 2013
The Lost Graveside Guitarist
After three funerals last week, I needed a little humor, even if it's graveside humor. Have a great week, Deacon Gerry
As a guitarist, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper’s cemetery in the back country. As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost.
I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch.
I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn’t know what else to do, so I started to play.
The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I’ve never played before for this homeless man.
And as I played ‘Amazing Grace,’ the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my guitar and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full.
As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, “I never seen nothin’ like that before and I’ve been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.”
Apparently, I’m still lost…
h/t Shannon Age and Julie Fagan
As a guitarist, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper’s cemetery in the back country. As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost.
I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch.
I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn’t know what else to do, so I started to play.
The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I’ve never played before for this homeless man.
And as I played ‘Amazing Grace,’ the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my guitar and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full.
As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, “I never seen nothin’ like that before and I’ve been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.”
Apparently, I’m still lost…
h/t Shannon Age and Julie Fagan
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)