“Cheers” fans pay tribute to George Wendt by visiting iconic bar in Boston

BOSTON (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Fans of "Cheers" paid their respects to beloved actor George Wendt, who died Tuesday at the age of 76.

Many stopped at the famed "Cheers" bar in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston, where it all began, and where patrons raised their glasses to Wendt in a place where everybody knew his name as "Norm."

"I was just talking about him. Coming here, I would love it if somebody could shout my name, but I would take it if they just said "Norm" when I walked in the door. That's shocking news," said Chris, a resident of Oklahoma City.

"That's so sad. Everybody knew Norm. Everybody. That's really sad," said Valerie, a resident of Jackson, Tennessee.

"I met George a couple times in Chicago. I'm from, Chicago and I always want to come by here and 'Cheers.' On the way over, I heard he passed. This is so sad, but couldn't think of a better place to be on this day you know to raise a glass to him, so that's what we're going to do," said Steven, a resident of Chicago.

"It would be on regularly and yeah, Boston was a distant concept to me then, so it's fun to be here now and do something to mark it," said Emma from the United Kingdom.

Wendt's family confirmed word of his death in a statement saying, "He died peacefully in his sleep while at home."

The statement describing Wendt as "a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him. He will be missed forever."

Wendt appeared in more than 260 episodes of "Cheers," which aired from 1982 to 1993. He was also nominated for six Emmys for his portrayal of the beloved character "Norm," though he never got the win.