2. Dusty Rhodes passes away at 69
On June 11, 2015, WWE Hall of Famer “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes passed away at the age of 69. Dusty took a fall at his home in Orlando and was transported to a local hospital. From there his kidneys started shutting down and he started to get dehydrated. He suffered “numerous complications” throughout the night, which ultimately proved fatal.”
Dustin “Goldust” Runnels wrote an emotional blog on Facebook the next day:
“Yesterday my father passed away with his four children, my daughter and his wife of 38 yrs. He was our hero and the greatest father in the world. He is the reason why I am who I am today. He taught me so so many lessons in life. He had 1 thing that he wanted to be and that was he wanted to be forever young. Now he is. Now he is dancing with angels in heaven. He was my mentor, my hero and a dad that I strive to be like. I love you dad. Thank you for all the overwhelmingly amount of love and support. He would have been on cloud 9 with this.
Thank you all. Dustin Runnels”
WWE posted the following regarding Dusty’s death:
“WWE is deeply saddened that Virgil Runnels, aka “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes — WWE Hall of Famer, three-time NWA Champion and one of the most captivating and charismatic figures in sports entertainment history — passed away today at the age of 69.
Runnels became a hero to fans around the world thanks to his work ethic, his impassioned interviews and his indomitable spirit. Moreover, Runnels was a dedicated father to WWE Superstars Goldust (Dustin Runnels) and Stardust (Cody Runnels), a caring husband and a creative visionary who helped shape the landscape of WWE long after his in-ring career had ended.
WWE extends its sincerest condolences to Runnels’ family, friends and colleagues.”
