WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk Jr. has died at age 85, closing out a career that spanned more than six decades and shaped generations of professional wrestlers. His wife, Marti Funk, confirmed his death to the Ocala Gazette, saying he died while receiving hospice care. A cause of death has not been disclosed.
Marti and Dory met in 1980 and married in 1989, building a partnership centered on wrestling that included co-founding the Funking Conservatory Professional Wrestling School in Ocala, Florida.
The school became a launching point for future WWE stars including Kurt Angle, Edge, Christian, the Hardy Boyz, Mark Henry, and Mickie James — training grounds where Dory worked directly with up-and-coming wrestlers while Marti managed the school’s daily operations. She remained one of his closest supporters as he continued wrestling into his 80s before retiring in 2024.
Dory was married previously to Jimmie Funk from 1960 to 1983, with whom he had three children: Dory Funk III, who became a physician rather than pursuing wrestling, along with Adam Dirk Funk and Penny Funk, both of whom have largely stayed out of the public eye. He and Marti later had two children together, keeping their family life largely private. The Funk wrestling legacy continued through his grandson, Dory Funk IV, who trained under him and carried the family tradition forward.
Born Dorrance Earnest Funk on February 3, 1941, he was trained by his father, wrestling promoter Dory Funk Sr., and made his professional debut in 1963. He became one of the sport’s most respected technical wrestlers, capturing the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in 1969 by defeating Gene Kiniski and holding the title for more than four years — one of the longest championship reigns in the belt’s history.
Alongside his younger brother Terry Funk, who died in 2023, Dory formed one of wrestling’s most iconic sibling duos, competing across the National Wrestling Alliance, All Japan Pro Wrestling, WWE, WCW, ECW, and numerous other promotions worldwide before the brothers were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame together in 2009. Even after stepping back from full-time competition, he continued developing new talent through the Funking Conservatory.
WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H, whose real name is Paul Michael Levesque, paid tribute on X, writing that Dory’s style inspired countless performers in the industry, tracing his influence from the Double Cross Ranch through WrestleMania 2, WCW, ECW, and dozens of NWA-affiliated promotions across North America and Asia — describing his travels and career as part of the early blueprint that helped build wrestling into a global phenomenon. Triple H extended condolences to Funk’s family on behalf of himself and the broader WWE community.
Dory Funk Jr.’s combination of championship success, technical wrestling influence, and decades spent training the next generation through the Funking Conservatory leaves a legacy that extends well beyond his own in-ring career, having directly shaped the skills of wrestlers who went on to define multiple subsequent eras of the sport.
