Wayne Gretzky's mother passed away.

TORONTO (AP) -- Phyllis Gretzky, the mother of hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky, died Monday night, the Phoenix Coyotes said. She was 64.
She was diagnosed with lung cancer late in 2004 and died two nights after her son took an indefinite leave of absence as coach of the Coyotes to return home to Ontario to be with her.


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The 43-year-old Gretzky, the NHL's career leading scorer, left the Coyotes on Saturday night in Los Angeles.

He also is the executive director of Canada's Olympic hockey team, which is expected to announce its roster for the Turin Games on Wednesday.
It is not known when or if he will return to those jobs.

The down-to-earth mother of five was perhaps the least known of the Gretzky family as she tried to maintain privacy for her children amid the spotlight of Wayne's celebrity status.
Wayne Gretzky's phenomenal success created much curiosity about the family. His father was comfortable in the public eye, while his mother preferred to keep a low profile. She sought to maintain a normal lifestyle, and the community around her respected that.

Phyllis Hockin was born and raised in Paris, Ontario, of British ancestry. She was a descendant of Isaac Brock, a general with British forces during the War of 1812.

She met her future husband when she was 15, and the couple was married three years later in 1960. Wayne was her first-born child, and he learned how to play hockey on a backyard rink. She would drive her children to early-morning hockey practices. Her husband, Walter, would go to games after work in the evenings. She is survived by her husband, all five children and 12 grandchildren.

Being diagnosed with Lung Cancer is almost a death sentence...very sad

Smoking Is A Death Sentence Don't Smoke Ever.

RIP
Ms. Gretzky
Thanks for all the great moments wayne has given us


Wayne Gretzky shows off his Order of Canada which he received from Governor-General Romeo LeBlanc at Rideau Hall Wednesday, January 28, 1998. Wayne's dad Walter on the left and his mom Phyllis on the right. -- Derek Ruttan, Ottawa Sun

Journeyman said:

Being diagnosed with Lung Cancer is almost a death sentence...very sad

Click to expand...

This is a bit of a blanket statement. The "survival" (5 year) rate for those diagnosed with Stage I lung cancer is nearly 50%. The problem seems to be that most of the elderly who are diagnosed are well beyond the Stage I level, at which the rates start to drop do about 25% at Stage II and dramatically worse beyond that.

For those of you that may be dealing with this nasty disease or know someone who is, don't give up. I was diagnosed at age 26 in 2002 with colon cancer and they are words that kept me going through my weekly chemotherapy treatments and occasional radiation treatments. Every time I watch Jimmy Valvano's speech, I well up as he was truly an inspiration.