Norman Nicholas Mack passed away on October 14, 2020 at his residence in Phoenix. He was 58 years old. Norm moved with his family, from Chicago Heights, IL, in 1972 to Phoenix.
Norm loved pets, music, sports, friends and family and he could always be counted on to help people in need. Norm was a career health care professional and worked at several Valley hospitals over the years, providing outstanding care and support for all of his patients.
He was preceded in death by his father, Norman, mother, Mary his sister, Rebecca, and his Stepfather, Warren Sanford. He is survived by his brothers, Tony, Jim and Paul. He will be sadly missed by his many cherished nieces, nephews and friends whom he considered family.
A memorial service will be held at the Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, 4800 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix on Saturday, October 24, 2020 at 1:00 PM for anyone that wishes to attend.
The family asks, that in lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Arizona Animal Welfare League at the following: https://aawl.org/content/tribute-and-memorial-gifts. Condolences may be expressed at www.whitneymurphyfuneralhome.com.
Sarah (Lindert) Kukla
I have so many fond memories of sweet Cousin Norman. His compassion for others never ended and his sense of humor was spot on. I can remember playing in our grandparent’s backyard like it was yesterday. Tony, Jim and Paul, you have my deepest sympathy.
-Cousin Sarah, John and Janelle
Tony Mack
Life will not be the same without Norm. He was my first role model and my immediate rival. He and I had a lifelong love of sports, especially football and wrestling. We were very fortunate to have our earliest memories going to football and wrestling practice, at Marian Catholic High School, in Chicago Heights, IL, where our father was the head coach for both sports. We competed, in wrestling tournaments, from age 5, often being expected to compete against other boys who were older and bigger than us (they figured we had an advantage, due to our father’s work). All of that helped as we terrorized the Chicago Heights Park District tournaments.
In our early childhood, we had the Sox and the Cubs in the summer. Baseball was big back then and Norm would chart the standings on the wall, with cutout pennants, representing each team.
Norm had a passion for dogs. In the old days, before the interweb, we would collect dog food bags and cans from the alley, and cut out the dog pictures so that we could learn all of the different dog breeds. Norm would even host dog shows, in our back yard, where all of the kids from the neighborhood would bring their dogs along.
Things evolved as we moved to AZ. We all loved the weather.
I remember that I didn’t know how to swim when we first arrived in AZ. Norm, recognizing that it would be a significant handicap for me, offered me two packs of 25 count baseball cards (50 cents was a lotta money in those days for a 10 year old), with bubble gum, if I would let him teach me how to tread water. He taught me at our neighbors pool that first summer, giving me a huge confidence boost. I could fit in with the other AZ kids, all of whom were excellent swimmers.
Years went on and we went around the country and world, only to have Norm permanently return to AZ, from FL, when our parents fell ill. It was always so comforting to have him with us since he had dealt with our parents’ condition in his professional life.
All of his nieces and nephews loved Norm because he was pure goofiness and fun with them.
We will always miss his wit, his observations and his compassion for those that he loved. Norm gracefully endured life’s endless stream of troubles and challenges and managed to have, and give, a lot of laughs along the way. I will greatly miss our late night texting exchanges over the last couple of years. Our family has lost our “Senior” member, but we’ll carry on for you.