'Queen of Harts' honoured by many
By MICHAEL WOOD -- Calgary Sun
Members of the World Wrestling Federation yesterday offered words of
tribute to legendary grappling matriarch Helen Hart.
"She was a great lady, and I will miss her," WWF CEO Linda McMahon told the
Sun before last night's RAW matchup between The Rock and Chris Jericho, held
in Helen's hometown of New York.
Linda and husband Vince -- who some Hart family members hold responsible
for the death of Owen in a 1999 wrestling stunt gone bad -- both expressed
their condolences to the family.
"We were both very sad to hear of her passing," Linda said.
Jericho also expressed fond memories of Helen.
"Even when I just met her, right off the bat she was very, very, very, very
friendly," Jericho said on the WWF Web site.
"She reminded me a lot of Owen Hart in that respect."
Helen died at the age of 76 early Sunday morning after nearly five weeks of
poor health due to diabetes complications. Details for Helen's funeral are
being kept under wraps to contain the service to close friends and family
only, said her son Keith.
"If we could rent out the parking lot in McMahon Stadium and invite the
whole world we would, but we just can't accommodate everybody," he said.
Some old-time wrestlers including Dory Funk Jr., Harley Race and the Cuban
Assassin are expected to attend.
Meanwhile, scads of written tributes and electronic condolences to the Hart
family were flooding Internet sites from around the globe yesterday. Page-long
and some very personal messages crowded one home page, launched in September
at the onset of Helen's battle with diabetes.
On it, one man from London, England, wrote: "I hope your passing helps
bring your family closer together."
Wrote another fan from Israel: "The 'Queen of Harts' will always stay in
our hearts!"
