Keweenaw Report Your Source for Local News and Sports
A Copper Country radio legend whose career spanned five decades has died.
Norman Koski, known to everyone as Mr. Norm, passed away Wednesday evening at the age of 80.
A graduate of Calumet High School, Koski got his start in local radio in 1956 at WMPL in Hancock and worked there until 1964 before going to work at WLUC-TV to do sports.
He went on to work at UPPCO and then returned to broadcasting sports at WMPL around 1970. He also did sales for WMPL and opened up a paint shop in Hancock. Afterwards, he worked at WJPD in Ishpeming.
He once again returned to the Copper Country in the 1980’s and remained here in radio until he retired in 2007.
Koski, along with three partners, purchased WHDF in 1979 and changed the call letters to WCCY. He co-owned the station until it was sold in 1983.
He returned to work in Houghton while the radio stations were co-owned by Harvey Desnick, Dick Storm, and later Mac Marzke, where he continued to broadcast high school sports, especially hockey, with his partner, Bill Bingham.
He also participated in the three-man broadcast team of Storm and Norm and Kevin, too…with Kevin Ericson as the DJ, Storm doing the news, and Norm on sports on WOLV.
Storm has fond memories of his broadcast partner…especially his sense of humor. “He had a really quick wit and he was very creative,” said Storm. “He loved traditional country music. He loved sports. He was a Detroit Lion fan and, although he was a Lion fan, he would go to Green Bay every year with his brother for a Green Bay Packer game. He ran a sports talk show for a while so he was pretty knowledgeable about all sports. He was a great guy, he was really funny.”
The legacy left by Mr. Norm goes beyond his impact on radio. Storm said, “Everybody knew Mr. Norm’s voice. He was always friendly on the air. He always had a smile. He was one of those people who would grouse when somebody would say ‘this is hump day’ or ‘TGIF’ and he would say ‘If you don’t like the job you got then why don’t you get one you like?”
Mr. Norm obviously loved his job.
Funeral arrangements for Norman Koski are being handled by the Ryan Funeral Home.
