EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The Vikings organization is sending condolences to the family of Leland "Lee" J. Remmel and the Packers organization for the loss of former staff member who passed away April 16 in Green Bay. He was 90.
A public visitation is scheduled from 4 to 8 p.m. CT today at Proko Wall Funeral Home in Green Bay.
The storied career of Remmel, a native of Shawano, Wisc., spanned all or parts of the tenures of every head coach in Packers history from Curly Lambeau to Mike McCarthy. Packers.com senior writer Mike Spofford wrote about Remmel's accomplishments and humility **here**.
In the article, Spofford noted that Remmel was recognized before Super Bowl XL as one of 12 media contributors (print, photography, public relations) to work the first 40 Super Bowls. Remmel worked the first eight Super Bowls as a sports writer and columnist for the *Green Bay Press-Gazette, *before joining the Packers front office in 1974 when he began assisting the NFL's media relations staff for 22 years.
After the Packers participated in Super Bowls following the 1996-97 seasons, Remmel returned to helping the NFL's media relations team for the next eight Super Bowls.
Remmel retired as Packers Public Relations Director, Emeritus on Dec. 31, 2007 but not before impacting players and front office employees in Green Bay and across the league.
Spofford quoted Brett Favre, the quarterback of those Green Bay Super Bowl teams who later took the Vikings to the NFC Championship, with calling Remmel a "Packers icon" at the time of Remmel's retirement.
"There will never be another like him," Favre said in 2007. "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. He's always had a great sense of humor, too."
Sid Hartman, the 95-year old legendary columnist with the *Star Tribune *said: "The Green Bay-Minnesota rivalry has been around for many years and the one guy who did a great job of covering this rivalry was Lee Remmel. He was as great an NFL PR person that ever lived."
Vikings consultant and historian Fred Zamberletti, who served as the team's head trainer from the inaugural 1961 season through 1998 said: "We have lost a true legend. Lee had more great stories and more love for the Green Bay Packers than anybody I know."
Vikings Executive Director of Public Relations Bob Hagan said: "Lee Remmel was the ultimate professional and a person that I highly looked up to as young PR person in the league. Lee had such a warmth about him and I never met person that didn't get along with him. Lee always had a good story to tell and would articulate it in a way that only he could do. Lee had many friends in the Vikings organization over the years and attended nearly 100 Vikings-Packers contests in the border battle. Lee was a great man who will be missed by many and who we will keep in our thoughts and prayers."
