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A great one is gone

Posted: Aug 4th 2026 By: Susan Smiley - OcalaGazette.com

Legendary wrestler Dory Funk Jr. passes away in Ocala.

Talk about a punch to the gut—that’s how I felt when Marti Funk called me today to let me know the legendary Dory Funk Jr. had passed away.

Dory, of course, is world famous. But the native Texan has lived in Ocala so long that we claim him as one of our own.

Earlier this year, the “Ocala Gazette” wrote about Dory getting ready to celebrate his 85th birthday on Feb. 3 and learned from the couple how they met and more. According to Marti, he passed away under hospice care, today, Aug. 4. The two were “sweethearts” for 46 years and were married for 40.

For years, they ran the Funking Conservatory in Ocala, where he taught a long list of contemporary wrestling stars.

In April of 2025, Dory Funk Sr. became a legacy inductee into the WWE Wrestling Hall of Fame, joining his sons Dory Jr. and Terry. During that February interview with the “Gazette” at his home in Ocala, Dory donned his father’s diamond WWE hall of fame ring and talked with pride about his early days of learning life lessons from his dad on their ranch in Texas. Dory’s own hall of fame ring, along with his gold National Wrestling Alliance Champion of the World Wrestling Heavyweight belt, are on display in Japan, where he has wrestled many times and is considered an icon.

The history of the Funk family includes Dory Sr. helping shape the future of pro wrestling and being a mentor to some of the most famous names in the business, as was Dory Jr., who also was known for his in-ring achievements and for being a promotional innovator.

Dory Jr. was born Feb. 3, 1941. His career in professional wrestling began in 1963, following his college football career with West Texas State University.

His accomplishments include induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009 and holding the CWA World Heavyweight Championship, WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship and the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, for which he was the second-longest reigning champion of all time.

His brother Terry also had a stellar career. Terry passed away in 2023.

In 1973, Dory Jr. made his debut for All Japan Pro Wrestling and then had a lengthy career with that organization. On Aug. 24, 2024, for his final professional match, Dory teamed up with old friend Osamu Nishimura. A wrestlingheadlines.com description of the event notes that it was a Double Hell Current Explosion Death Match at the FMW-E Terry Funk Memorial and Atsushi Onita 50th anniversary at the Fujitsu Kawasaki Stadium.

When asked about some of the highlights of his storied career, Dory Jr. told the “Gazette” back in January, in his best Texas drawl, “Well winning the world championships, of course. And my first match.”

When asked what advice he would have for young wrestlers just getting started, he at first said in a soft lift, “Never quit.” Then, a bit louder, “Never quit!” And then, very loudly and forcefully, “NEVER QUIT!”

In 2022, Dory wrote “The Last of a Great Breed: True Stories from a Career in Pro Wrestling.” The cover photo, which features a snarling Dory, in a black cowboy hat, holding a bullwhip and with fire seemingly coming from his fist, was created by Dave Schlenker, a noted longtime Ocala writer, editor and photographer.

The two had formed a friendship over years of Dory being featured in the pages of the “Ocala Star-Banner,” where Schlenker worked for a long time. Schlenker went head-to-head with Dory on Nov. 24, 2012, at the Funking Conservatory, in a match/fundraiser for the Marion County Literacy Council. He noted in a column published Nov. 8, 2012, that he had been encouraged to “smack-talk” Dory to amp up the stakes.

When asked in January what he had to say about Dory, Schlenker texted: “I have always loved the dichotomy that is Dory Funk Jr. This is a guy who used to toss 300-pound to 400-pound dudes out of the ring after nearly crushing them with the spinning toe hold. There’s also barbed wire and blood in there somewhere. But he’s the sweetest, gentlest human. Just a bear of a grandfather. He’s an icon, both in Ocala and in professional wrestling.”

On Aug. 4, via text, Schlenker wrote:“A true loss, not just for wrestling but for Ocala. Huge heart. A gentle giant who could crush you like a gnat. I loved to make Dory laugh, and he laughed often. He loved this town, its people and, of course, its pets. I will sincerely miss him. This is a tough one for me.”

According to Marti, the family will have a private ceremony to honor Dory’s life. In November, on Thanksgiving Day, there will be a public memorial service to honor Dory, Terry and some noted Japanese associates. The “Gazette” will publicize details closer to the event.

“He was such a good guy,” Marti said softly, then more strongly, “such a good guy!”