‘Cheers' actor remembered for time in St. Jacobs

CTV News

23-05-2025

He may have been known as 'Norm' to most people, but to the folks in St. Jacobs, he was George.
George Wendt died at the age of 76 on Tuesday morning.
He was well known for his portrayal of Norm on the hit 1980s TV show, 'Cheers.'
Later in life, he spent time on Broadway. His love of the stage eventually brought him to Ontario, where he appeared in a Drayon Entertainment production of 'Death of a Salesman' in St. Jacobs.
During his time there, he frequently stopped by Jack's Family Restaurant, just steps away from the St. Jacobs County Playhouse.
'We were saddened to hear about the passing of George Wendt. Many will remember him as Norm from Cheers, but to us at Jack's, he'll always be the kind and down-to-earth guy who came in for a bite many times,' a social media post from the restaurant reads.
Jack's Family Restaurant co-owner Saddy Kulafi recalled meeting the star.
'He wasn't a wise cracker when he came in,' Kulafi said. 'He wasn't cracking jokes left and right, like his dialog on the show. [He was] just genuinely down to earth. Seemed like his character Norm,
but he would interact with staff. He'd even learn some staff names.'
'We were always kind of joking that it's interesting, he came from a show where a bar where everyone knows your name, but he'd come here and he'd ask people their names and use their names. So it was really it's really cool.'
Wendt's family said he died peacefully in his sleep while at home.