By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Legendary pro wrestler Dory Funk Jr. (Dorrance Earnest Funk) died on Tuesday at age 85. The cause of death has not been disclosed. Funk’s wife of forty years, Marti, told the Ocala Gazette that her husband died in hospice care. “He was such a good guy, such a good guy,” Marti said. Read more on the story at Ocalagazette.com.
Powell’s POV: Marti also stated the family will have a private ceremony and there will also be a public memorial service on Thanksgiving Day. The Ocala Gazette story includes a nice photo taken in January of a smiling Dory holding an NWA Championship belt while his wife kissed him on the cheek.
Dory’s father was a wrestler and a promoter. Dory’s brother Terry, who died in August 2023, was also a legendary pro wrestler. The brothers both had runs with the NWA World Championship. They were legends for their work in Japan. Dory opened the Funking Conservatory Professional Wrestling School in Ocala, Florida. Believe it or not, his final match was a “Double Hell Current Explosion Death” match on August 24, 2024, when he was 83 years old. My condolences to Dory’s family, friends, and many fans.
(Jason Powell, founder and editor of ProWrestling.net, has covered pro wrestling full-time since 1997. He hosts the weekly podcast, Pro Wrestling Boom, and also appears regularly on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast. Reach him via email at dotnetjason@gmail.com and on social media via @prowrestlingnet.bsky.social or x.com/prowrestlingnet. For his full bio and information on this website, click here.)
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