Sorry for the loss of your son, can't imagine. I come from Norwegian stock, as do many of my friends, who almost to a man are above 6ft. Most of the people I meet, especially in the east, when I'm traveling for work, are surprised when I walk in for the first time.
My mothers side of the family is 100% Norwegian...and all the men are very tall...
My son who is 6'5" and about 260lbs, loves to travel...and a few years ago, he took a year long trip around the world...he did not go the usual tourist way, as he hates any kind of tour which is organized...he traveled on his own, usually staying in hostels, or when he could living with the people who were native to the region he was visiting....being that he is so big, even by American standards, he really stood out in countries, where men are just normally small and much shorter than here in America...
He has traveled in places such as Fiji, Thailand, Nepal, Tibet, Australia, New Zealand, most of Western Europe, much of the middle East, and much of Central America...in almost every country he visited he just stood out, being so big...he often had trouble fitting in local buses, had terrible problems trying to buy local clothing to fit him, and just in general, found himself being pointed at, as he just stood out...
In many different places were he lived with the people, they would always have a phrase, in their native tongue, that they would use to refer to him...when he would translate the phrase, it was usually a phrase which referred to him as 'the giant American'....he always got a kick out of that...
Suffice it to say, his giant size, along with his good nature and witty manner, make him a person that most of the people housing him, will remember as one of their more unusual guests...