St. Petersburg – Norman R. Glick of Gulfport, Fla., passed away in hospice care at the Bay Pines VA in Pinellas County on Feb. 11. He was 72.
Glick was well known in theater circles both locally and in New York, where he worked with many stars, including Harvey Fierstein.
“I first met Norman in the decrepit ballroom of the Jane-West Hotel which, at that time, was a transient residence,” Fierstein wrote on Glick’s Facebook timneline after the news of his death was shared. “Harvey [Tavel] and Norman were turning the space into The Theater of the Lost Continent to present the works of Ronald Tavel. Norman did tech, photography, sound… and together we all created some real theater magic.
“With Ronald and Harvey gone, Norman was my last touchstone for those memories. I will carry them forward proudly.”
According to Fierstein, alumni of The Lost Continent included Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, Jackie Curtis, Mary Woronov, Ondine, Mario Montez, Agosto Machado, John Vacarro and Ruby Lynne Raynor.
Last year, Glick resurrected the comedy Two by Tavel—the work of his late partner’s brother, Ronald and directed it in New York.
Harvey Tavel, Glick’s partner of more than 50 years, preceded him in death in 2013.
Glick began his work off-Broadway in 1965 and after graduating from the City University of New York in 1976 he began working as a concert promoter. When he and his partner moved to Florida, he stepped into a role at Bay Pines Medical Center in 1983, a position he held until 2009—the same year he legally married Tavel. He also worked closely with American Stage Theater Company in St. Petersburg.
Glick is survived by his brother, David.
“In typical Norm fashion, he passed from this earth the way he lived his life—full of happiness and generosity of spirit,” David Glick shared on Facebook. “To the end he was showered with love and admiration for the man he was: gentle , kind, caring to all he came in touch with.”
Services for Glick included a full military funeral on Friday, Feb. 13, at the National Cemetery at Bay Pines VA.
According to David Glick, Norman will leave a lasting legacy at the veterans administration hospital. During his stay in hospice care there, Norman requested a “blinged-out time and date LED clock,” David shared.
“I had it in his room and when his nurse said she wished all the vets had one, Norman just looked up at me and smiled,” David wrote. “Each room at the Bay Pines VA Hospice now has one donated in Norman’s name.”
