Norton Suffers Loss of Trusted Friend

Stan Kurman, 85, died last week, and for Bruin fullback Pat Norton, the hype surrounding the game against USC was pierced by a jolt of perspective.

Norton had rented a room for the last year from Kurman. A car struck Kurman while he was crossing a street in Santa Monica en route to an aerobics class Nov. 13.

“He was the healthiest man I knew,” Norton said. “He inspired me.”

Kurman, a UCLA basketball season-ticket holder for the last 34 years, took Norton to games. They also played everything from chess to poker.

“It was cool to come home and have him there,” Norton said. “If I needed to talk to somebody, he always had great advice.”

For 20 years, Kurman operated Needham Book Finders, a store on Westwood Boulevard specializing in out-of-print books.

His son-in-law, Marc Wade, introduced him to Norton, who had dated Wade’s daughter in high school. They hit it off immediately.

“When Pat would tell his friends he was living with a senior, he really meant a senior,” Wade said.

A service will be held Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the special collections department of the UCLA library.

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Drew Olson followed a shaky Monday practice with a strong performance Tuesday. The freshman quarterback said that taking three days off affected his timing with receivers.

“I felt more comfortable today,” he said. “Timing is a huge thing. We took the Friday through Sunday off and you can’t come back right away and have it.”

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Theotis Brown, No. 7 on the all-time Bruin rushing list, will attend the game because his son, Theotis Brown III, is taking an official visit to UCLA. The younger Brown, a defensive back from Shawnee Mission, Kan., committed to the Bruins last week.