Norm Kent Obituary – What a tragic loss. Norm was a trailblazer and a staunch supporter of equality. He was never afraid to stand out for what was right. He will be greatly missed. Attorney Norm Kent, a tireless advocate for marijuana and LGBT rights, baseball lover, prominent radio talk show host, and co-founder of South Florida Gay News, died on April 13 at the age of 73, 18 months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Kent informed SFGN in his final interview on March 28 that he would be diagnosed in October 2021. “I said that day, ‘Let’s fly to Atlanta and watch a Dodgers game.'” We’re going to a baseball game if they tell me I have cancer.” “You definitely can’t accuse him of not being interesting,” said Fort Lauderdale attorney Russell Cormican, Kent’s law partner for nearly 25 years.
“The most important thing looking at Norm’s legacy is that he reminds us how important it is to stand up for what you believe in, no matter how unpopular it might be or what types of repercussions or blowback you might get from people, if you know what you’re doing is the right thing,” said Cormican, 51. “When he sees an injustice, he doesn’t hesitate to lead the charge against it.”
That has been the connecting thread throughout his life.” Norman Elliott Kent was born on October 18, 1949, in Brooklyn, New York, and his family immediately relocated to North Woodmere, Nassau County, Long Island. “I was a good, competitive baseball player since I was a little kid growing up in North Woodmere and taking Bus 53 to junior varsity games.”
“The doctor once told me that I had steel springs in my legs,” Kent explained. “I really enjoyed the game. I like it now because you never know what will happen on the next pitch. It is not scripted in the manner of a film. You never know what the next joke will be, just like a comedian.” Kent outfitted his little, two-bedroom Victoria Park home with 16 televisions so he would never miss a game.
“It looks like mission control,” observed Cormican. “God forbid there are four baseball games playing at the same time. He has to see them all.” He even had his own baseball card business, Norm Kent’s Baseball Heaven, at the Gateway Shopping Center in Fort Lauderdale thirty years ago. Kent, who is survived by his older brother Richard and younger brother Alan, had considered becoming a professional baseball player until their father Jesse informed him, “You’re going to be the lawyer in the family.”
Kent made his father happy by receiving a Hofstra law degree in 1975 after graduating from Hofstra University on Long Island in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and sociology. During his college years, Kent established a national reputation as a strong proponent of marijuana legalization. Our thoughts and prayers are with Norm’s family, friends, and the entire community that knew and loved him.