The Tampa Tribune has posted the following obituary for WWE Hall of Famer Virgil Runnels, Jr, aka Dusty Rhodes:
RUNNELS, Virgil, Jr. (aka Dusty Rhodes), left this Earth on June 11, 2015. He was surrounded by his four children and his loving and devoted wife. He was preceded in death by parents, Virgil Runnels, Sr., Katherine Trefell and stepfather, Mike Trefell. Dusty is survived by his wife, Michelle Rubio Runnels; children, Dustin (Tarel), Kristin Ditto (Don), Teil Gergel (Kevin), and Cody (Brandi); grandchildren, Dakota Runnels, Dalton and Dylan Ditto, and Maris and Kellan Gergel.
Also survived by brother, Larry (Denay) of Louisville, CO; and sister, Connie Jones (Gary) of Pensacola, FL. Dusty and Michelle spent 37 years of devoted marital bliss. He was the ultimate provider and a legend for all the right reasons. The family would like to extend its deepest gratitude to Dr. Joe Chiaramonte and Brandon Health Management for their loving care and support. The family requests donations in Dusty’s memory to Connor’s Cure (givetochildrens.org/connorscure) and Joe Torre Safe At Home (joetorre.org).
Dusty Rhodes
-
Dusty Rhodes
MIAMI - JUNE 07: Dusty Rhodes, Sharlto Copley and Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson attend WWE Monday Night Raw at American Airlines Arena on June 7, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)
-
Dusty Rhodes
MIAMI - JUNE 07: Dusty Rhodes, Sharlto Copley and Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson attend WWE Monday Night Raw at American Airlines Arena on June 7, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)
-
Dusty Rhodes
MIAMI - JUNE 07: Dusty Rhodes, Sharlto Copley and Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson attend WWE Monday Night Raw at American Airlines Arena on June 7, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)
-
Dusty Rhodes
MIAMI - JUNE 07: Dusty Rhodes, Sharlto Copley and Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson attend WWE Monday Night Raw at American Airlines Arena on June 7, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)
-
Dusty Rhodes
MIAMI - JUNE 07: Dusty Rhodes, Gene Okerlund,Sharlto Copley and Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson attend WWE Monday Night Raw at AmericanAirlines Arena on June 7, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)
-
Dusty Rhodes
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 02: WWE Hall of Fame member Dusty Rhodes attends the WWE 2011 Hall Of Fame Induction at Phillips Arena on April 2, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by George Napolitano/FilmMagic)
-
Dusty Rhodes
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 03: WWE Hall of Fame member Dusty Rhodes attends the 2011 WWE Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Philips Arena on April 3, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Moses Robinson/Getty Images)
-
Dusty Rhodes
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 03: WWE Hall of Fame member Dusty Rhodes attends the 2011 WWE Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Philips Arena on April 3, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Moses Robinson/Getty Images)
-
Dusty Rhodes
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 13: Dusty Rhodes attends the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation's 12th Annual Celebrity Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on November 13, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)
-
Dusty Rhodes
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 13: Dusty Rhodes (L) and Photographer Dave Allocca attend the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation's 12th Annual Celebrity Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on November 13, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)
-
Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes. A 3-time NWA World Champion, Creative Consultant for World Wrestling Entertainment. Member of WWE's "Legends program". (Photo by John Sciulli/WireImage for LIONSGATE) *** Local Caption ***
-
Dusty Rhodes
HOUSTON - APRIL 04: The American Dream Dusty Rhodes attends the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania's WWE Hall of Fame>> at the Toyota Center on April 4, 2009 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/WireImage)
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
