Lee Remmel

Lee Remmel
Born Leland Remmel
(1924-06-30)June 30, 1924[1]
Shawano, Wisconsin
Died April 16, 2015(2015-04-16) (aged 90)
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Occupation Sportswriter
Green Bay Packers Public Relations director/historian
Spouse(s) Margaret "Noreen" Remmel (1948-2012: her death)[2]

Leland "Lee" Remmel (June 30, 1924 – April 16, 2015) was a public relations/historian/spokesman and sportswriter. He was known for working 62 years with the Green Bay Packers as a sportswriter and later a team employee.[3]

Remmel was born in Shawano, Wisconsin, a small city about 30 miles (48 km) outside of Green Bay, Wisconsin. He began writing as a freshman at Shawano High School[4] and went to his first Packers game on September 24, 1944.[5] On October 7, 1945, Remmel started covering the Green Bay Packers as a sportswriter for the Green Bay Press Gazette.[6] He was the only sportswriter who had covered all of the Packers coaches from the team's first coach Curly Lambeau to Bart Starr.[4] He was hired to work in the Packers front office in 1974[6] as the teams public relations director and spokesman.[4] In February 2004, Remmel was named the first historian for the Green Bay Packers,[7] a role he served until his retirement in December 2007 at age 83.[8] He remained on the board of directors for the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

Remmel covered the first forty Super Bowls. He represented the Press Gazette at the first eight, 22 as NFL auxiliary media relations staff, two years for the Green Bay Packers, and another eight with the NFL.[4] He was one of twelve people honored by the NFL for their association with the first forty Super Bowls.[4] Remmel has served on NFL committees on statistics and NFL Films, and participated in the NFL public relations directors' Professional Football Writers of America liaison.[4]

Remmel is known for his in-depth knowledge of Packer's history, especially about the team's rivalry with the Chicago Bears. Former Packers quarterback Brett Favre described Remmel, "He’s a Packers icon. There will never be another like him. His knowledge of the team and its history has always been impressive. He is sharp as a tack when it came to those things – truly impressive."[4]

Awards

Remmel was named Wisconsin's Sports Writer of the year in 1967.[4] Remmel was inducted in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame on March 30, 1996.[4] To honor his induction into the Packers Hall of Fame, the team built a new press box in August 2003, and they named it "The Lee Remmel Press Box".[4] Each April, the "Lee Remmel Sports Awards Banquet" honors high school to professional athletes;[4] the banquet has raised over $150,000 for Green Bay area colleges and high schools.[9]

Personal

Remmel married Margaret "Noreen" Berg in 1948, predeceasing Remmel on April 27, 2012 after a brief illness.[2] Remmel died on April 16, 2015.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Editorial: Remmel is a big part of Packers history". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved May 7, 2008.
  2. 1 2 "Margaret "Noreen" Remmel Obituary: View Margaret Remmel's Obituary by Green Bay Press-Gazette". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Packers.com - History - Ask Lee Remmel". Packers.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2008. Retrieved May 6, 2008.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Lee Remmel to Retire from Packers". WGBA. Archived from the original on March 3, 2008. Retrieved May 6, 2008.
  5. ↑ "Remmel's run with Packers draws to a close; with photo gallery". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved April 16, 2015. (subscription required (help)).
  6. 1 2 "Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame - Lee Remmel". PackersHallofFame.org. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
  7. ↑ "Lee Remmel, Green Bay Packers Team Historian, To Retire After 62-Year Association With Franchise". Packers.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2008. Retrieved May 6, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Remmel's career one for the ages". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on May 1, 2008. Retrieved May 6, 2008.
  9. ↑ "Lee Remmel Banquet Goes on Without Remmel". WBAY. Retrieved May 7, 2008.
  10. ↑ "Lee Remmel, a Packers icon". Packers.com. Green Bay Packers. April 16, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
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