88S20097 JRI-D
By: Meyer H.R. No. 1
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Norma Lynn Knobel Hunt of Dallas, the beloved
matriarch of one of the most influential families in American
sports, passed away on June 4, 2023, at the age of 85; and
WHEREAS, The daughter of Edward and Loretta Knobel, the
former Norma Knobel was born in Greenville on March 28, 1938; she
graduated from Richardson High School, earned a secondary education
degree from North Texas State University, and taught history at
Richardson High; in 1963, she began dating Lamar Hunt, who had
founded the American Football League four years earlier; the couple
wed on January 22, 1964, and they shared more than 40 happy years
together before Mr. Hunt's death in 2006; they raised two sons,
Clark and Daniel, and Mrs. Hunt also took great pride in her five
grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Hunt provided vital support to her husband as
he realized a series of important achievements in the sports world,
including the merger of the American and National Football Leagues
and the formation of World Championship Tennis and Major League
Soccer; at Mrs. Hunt's behest, the couple were founding investors
in the NBA's Chicago Bulls; above all, the Hunt name became
synonymous with the NFL and particularly with the Kansas City
Chiefs franchise, which Mr. Hunt established in 1963 by relocating
his Dallas-based AFL team to a new market; known as the First Lady
of Football, Mrs. Hunt attended all 57 Super Bowls to date,
starting with Kansas City's appearance in the inaugural 1967 title
contest and concluding with the 2023 Super Bowl, in which the Chiefs
claimed their third Lombardi Trophy; currently, her son Clark Hunt
is chair and CEO of the family-owned team; and
WHEREAS, Deeply engaged in the community, Mrs. Hunt was a
prominent benefactor of the Dallas Museum of Art, and she supported
such entities as the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Crystal Charity
Ball, and Park Cities Presbyterian Church; moreover, she was the
driving force in her family's acquisition of Bidwell Creek Vineyard
in California in 2000 and helped guide the development of its
award-winning wines; and
WHEREAS, Renowned for her generosity, her positive outlook,
and her abiding concern for others, Norma Hunt will be greatly
missed, but the passage of time will never diminish the joy and love
that she brought into the lives of all who knew her; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory
of Norma Lynn Knobel Hunt and extend heartfelt condolences to the
members of her family: to her sons, Clark Hunt and his wife, Tavia,
and Daniel Hunt and his wife, Toni; to her brother, Edward Knobel
III, and his wife, Paula; to her niece, Amy Knobel; to her
grandchildren, Gracelyn, Knobel, Ava, Darlington, and Tennyson
Hunt; and to her other relatives and many friends; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Norma Hunt.