Following the passing of the patriarch of the Norman golfing family at the age of 95, Greg Norman has grieved with friends and family.
The golfing star attended Mervin Norman’s funeral on Tuesday at Moreton Bay Crematorium, north of Brisbane, together with his mother Toini and son Greg Jr.
Norman Kutner, wearing a black shirt and pants, held his wife Kirsten Kutner’s hand as they entered the funeral service to say goodbye to his father.
Last Thursday, Norman, 67, praised his father for providing him the inspiration to achieve in life and for helping him become the man he is today.
When someone is around for 95 years, it’s easy to take things for granted in life. According to him, once you lose that individual, they are gone until you run into them again in a better location.
“Dad, you were always there for me. You inspired me to become who I am. You given me the genes, brains, heart, soul, and strength to do things that few people have ever done. I completely embody you.
I am aware that you are no longer in agony. We shall all miss you terribly, including your lovely wife of 72 years, your daughter Janis, who was always there for you, your granddaughters Morgan and Greg and great-grandchildren, me, your son, and all other family members nearby and far away.
You were our founding father. We’ll get together again so I can tell you about my life’s closing chapters. I already miss you and adore you. R.I.P., Dad.
On Tuesday, Greg Jr. wrote an homage to his grandpa, praising him as a “bright guy” who was “as strong as you were intellectual.”
“You laid a wonderful basis for how we should spend our lives. a 95-year-old man. You will be sorely missed. He wrote, “Love you GF.”
It’s challenging to live so far away from our main family. Sometimes it takes a long time between encounters. Take your family in.
“If at all possible, settle your disputes right away. Spend some time together. Educate one another. There is no way to get that time back.
Toini, Mervin’s wife of 72 years, and he had two children together: Greg, who was born in Mount Isa, Queensland, in 1955, and Janis, Greg’s elder sister.
Mervin worked as an electrical engineer, while Toini managed the household and was a great golfer.
After taking an executive position, he sold his Townsville-based electrical engineering company and relocated his family to Brisbane.
When Greg was in elementary school, Mervin built Norman a little sailboat to help spark his interest in boats.
Weekends were spent by Merv working on the vessel underneath the family house. When it was ready, the two carried it to Ross Creek and pushed it in for its first trip.
He didn’t accept Norman’s decision to become pro and would prefer he had stuck with his plans to join the Royal Australian Air Force, which caused a gap between the two.
In a 2021 interview, Norman said that his father “never dreamed I’d be the golfer I became.”
He wanted me to work for him in the engineering industry, get a degree, or find another career in business.
We had some anxiety when I informed him that I was going to become a professional musician, an assistant pro, and that I would be playing the tour in three years.
He gives me a “are you insane” look and says, “You’re not talented enough to do that. Nobody in our family has ever become a professional athlete.”
Years later, Norman and Mervin’s relationship was patched up, and Norman Sr. became a board member and investor in businesses that are now a part of Norman’s portfolio of investments.
According to Norman, the early tension in his connection with his father led to the development of a crippling fear of failure, which helped him succeed in his golfing career.
To get to the pinnacle of the sport, he became a perfectionist and put in more effort than anybody else on the circuit. Norman won the British Open in 1986 and 1993 and had the world No. 1 ranking for six years.
After quitting golf, Greg Norman entered the business sector and currently controls 13 companies in the fields of course design, fashion, hotel, and real estate. He now serves as the CEO of the contentious LIV Golf, which is financed by Saudi Arabia.