Hulk Hogan’s family and friends honored his memory at his funeral on Tuesday, August 5, with his pallbearers paying special tribute to the late wrestler.
Hogan (real name Terry Bollea) arrived in a hearse to a church in Largo, Florida, on Tuesday, where eight pallbearers met his casket and carried him into the church. The pallbearers wore black suits with a noticeable yellow rose in their lapels, according to photos obtained by The Daily Mail.
The yellow flower appears to be a nod to Hogan’s wrestling career, as he famously wore bright yellow and red ensembles in the ring.
Us Weekly confirmed that Hogan was celebrated at a memorial service on Tuesday more than one week after he died on July 24 at age 71. He suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida, and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
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Hogan’s cause of death was later ruled as acute myocardial infarction, which is commonly known as a heart attack, according to court docs obtained by Us on July 31.
The report also revealed that Hogan suffered from Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), cancer that affects white blood cells. It is not known when the former WWE star was diagnosed. (Plans for Hogan’s body to be cremated were also shared in the docs, though a date for those plans to be carried out has not been made public.)
The news of Hogan’s death was shocking to his fans, friends and family, especially since his wife, Sky Daily, denied he was in a bad way just days before his passing.
“No, he’s definitely not in a coma,” Daily, who wed Hogan in September 2023, wrote via her Instagram Story on July 18, according to PennLive. “His heart is strong, and there was never any lack of oxygen or brain damage. None of those rumors are true.”
She explained that he had been struggling with health issues, including “recovering from a major four-level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF),” but he was healing.
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While his inner circle appeared to know about his health ups and downs, many expected him to bounce back, including Daily.
“I wasn’t ready for this … and my heart is in pieces,” Daily wrote via Instagram on July 25. “He had been dealing with some health issues, but I truly believed we would overcome them. I had so much faith in his strength. I thought we still had more time. This loss is sudden and impossible to process. To the world, he was a legend … but to me, he was my Terry. The man I loved. My partner. My heart.”
Hulk’s ex-wife Linda Hogan also expressed surprise at the suddenness of his death. “I had no idea he would pass away this soon,” she commented on her own Instagram post on July 28. “We all really thought he would make a comeback! Big surprise. We are all devastated. It’s hitting me so hard.”
Linda, who was married to Hulk from 1983 to 2009, added: “I love you Hulkster. You were my man. The only man for me. RIP.”
Hulk is survived by Daily and his two children, Brooke Hogan and Nick Hogan, whom he shared with Linda, and Brooke’s twins Oliver and Andrew. (Brooke is married to Steven Oleksy.)
While Brooke, 37, was not on the best terms with her father before his death — they hadn’t spoken in two years — she did honor his legacy via a lengthy social media post in the wake of his passing, as did her brother.
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“His eyes shine through my children. And our bond has never broken, not even in his final moments. We had a connection deeper than words, one that spanned lifetimes,” she wrote via Instagram last month. “I am so grateful that I knew the real version of him. Not just the one the world viewed through a carefully curated lens. We shared a quiet, sacred bond, one that could be seen and felt by anyone who witnessed us together.”
Nick, 35, called Hulk his “hero,” writing in his own social media tribute, “He was the most kind, loving and amazing father anybody could ask for. I feel so blessed to have had the greatest dad in the world. He was not only the best dad but also my mentor and my best friend. He always has been my best friend and I love him and miss him more than I could ever explain.”