Colleen Howe, Mrs. Hockey, Passes On

There's some very sad news out of Detroit this morning, as word has reached the wider world that Colleen Howe, the wife of Hall of Famer Gordie Howe (far right), has died after a long fight with Pick's Disease.

She was 76.

"Colleen was a pioneer hockey wife and hockey mom and devoted her entire life to the betterment of the game. She will be sincerely missed by us and all who knew her," said Red Wings owners Mike and Marian Ilitch in a statement.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called her a "formidable woman, the wife and partner of our iconic player, the matriarch of a remarkable hockey family."

Pick's Disease is a particularly merciless form of dementia that actually alters a person's personality as it progresses.

The former Colleen Joffa, who married Gordie in 1953, was a true partner in every sense of the word. While her husband was getting it done on the ice, his wife was taking care of everything else off of it, raising a family -- including two sons who would become professional hockey players -- and managing a variety of business interests in her own right.

The Red Wings will observe a moment of silence before Saturday night's game against Columbus in her honor.

Deaths in Sports

Colleen Howe, March 6: "Mrs. Hockey," the wife of hockey great Gordie Howe and one of the first female sports agents, died after battling Pick's disease, a rare form of dementia. Click through the gallery to see more recent deaths of athletes and sports personalities.

EFK / AP

Norm Van Lier, Feb. 26: The three-time All-Star and fan favorite was nicknamed "Stormin' Norman" because of his tenacious play. Norman retired after the 1979 season with 8,770 points and 5,217 assists.

Noren Trotman, NBAE / Getty Images

Larry H. Miller, Feb. 20: Miller, a Utah businessman and owner of the Jazz, passed away after complications of type 2 diabetes.

Douglas C. Pizac, AP

Mike Whitmarsh, Feb. 19: The 1996 Olympic silver medalist in beach volleyball committed suicide with carbon monoxide from car exhaust, according to the medical examiner.

Al Bello, Getty Images

Kamila Skolimowska, Feb. 18: The 2000 Olympic gold medalist in the hammer throw died suddenly while training in Portugal. The Polish athlete was just 26.

Olivier Morin, AFP/Getty Images

Ted Uhlaender, Feb. 12: The former Major League Baseball player, seen here as Cleveland's first base coach in 2001, had worked most recently as a scout for San Francisco.

Rick Stewart , Allsport / Getty Images

Jeremy Lusk, Feb. 9: The motocross star died two days after suffering head injuries in a crash.

Cal Sport Media / ZUMA Press

Mel Kaufman, Feb. 9: The former linebacker, who won two Super Bowl rings as a player with the Redskins, died in his California home at the age of 50.

NFL / Getty Images

Marian Cozma, Feb. 8: The 26-year-old was a member of Romania's national handball team. Cozma was stabbed to death and two other players were seriously injured in an attack at a nightclub in western Hungary.

Srdjan Ilic, AP

Payton Jordan, Feb. 5: The college track and field star, seen here in 2004, went on to coach at Stanford and led the United States to a record 24 medals at the 1968 Olympics.

Paul Sakuma, AP