lit a candle 6 Sept 2026Grew up watching Walker, Texas Ranger with my dad. Chuck made us both believe good could win. He'll be missed so much.
Their story
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris was born on March 10, 1940, in Ryan, Oklahoma, to Wilma Lee (nee Scarberry) and Ray Dee Norris, a World War II Army veteran who later worked as a mechanic, bus driver, and truck driver. Named after his father's minister, Carlos Berry, he was the oldest…
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris was born on March 10, 1940, in Ryan, Oklahoma, to Wilma Lee (nee Scarberry) and Ray Dee Norris, a World War II Army veteran who later worked as a mechanic, bus driver, and truck driver. Named after his father's minister, Carlos Berry, he was the oldest of three brothers (Wieland and Aaron). After his parents divorced when he was 16, he moved with his mother and brothers to Prairie Village, Kansas, and then to Torrance, California. He later described a shy, non-athletic childhood marked by family financial strain and his father's drinking.
In 1958 he joined the United States Air Force as an Air Policeman, serving at Osan Air Base in South Korea, where he earned the nickname "Chuck" and began Tang Soo Do training. Discharged in August 1962 as an airman first class after duty at March Air Force Base in California, he opened martial arts studios while competing. After early tournament losses he rose to win major titles, including S. Henry Cho's All-American Karate Championship at Madison Square Garden (1967) and the Professional Middleweight Karate Championship (1968), which he held for six consecutive years. Black Belt magazine named him Fighter of the Year in 1969. He founded American Tang Soo Do and later the Chuck Norris System (formerly Chun Kuk Do), and taught celebrity students including Steve McQueen, Bob Barker, Priscilla Presley, and Donny and Marie Osmond.
A minor film debut in The Wrecking Crew (1968) led to Bruce Lee casting him as the Colosseum opponent Colt in The Way of the Dragon (1972). Encouraged by McQueen to study acting, Norris starred in Breaker! Breaker! (1977) and Good Guys Wear Black (1978), then a run of martial-arts hits including A Force of One, The Octagon, An Eye for an Eye, Lone Wolf McQuade, and, with Cannon Films, Missing in Action (dedicated in spirit to brother Wieland, killed in Vietnam in 1970), Invasion U.S.A., and The Delta Force. Critics often cited Code of Silence (1985) among his strongest dramatic turns. From 1993 to 2001 he starred as Cordell Walker on CBS's Walker, Texas Ranger, a long-running ratings success that cemented his square-jawed lawman image. Later screen work included Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004, as himself) and The Expendables 2 (2012).
Beyond acting he wrote martial-arts, self-help, Christian western, and political books, including Against All Odds: My Story and Black Belt Patriotism. From the late 1990s he was a longtime Total Gym spokesperson. In 2005 hyperbolic "Chuck Norris facts" became an internet meme; he embraced many of them and published an official fact book. A Republican and outspoken Christian Baptist, he backed conservative candidates, wrote for WorldNetDaily, visited U.S. troops in Iraq, and drew both praise and criticism for political stances (including Proposition 8 support and other documented controversies). Philanthropy centered on Kickstart Kids / United Fighting Arts Federation work with youth and veterans' causes; he received Veteran of the Year honors (2001), an honorary U.S. Marine designation (2007), and honorary Texas Ranger status (2010).
He married Dianne Kay Holechek in December 1958; they had sons Mike and Eric and divorced in 1989. He later publicly acknowledged daughter Dina from an earlier extramarital relationship. On November 28, 1998, he married model Gena O'Kelley; they had fraternal twins Dakota and Danilee in 2001. As of mid-2010s reporting he had numerous grandchildren (Wikipedia cites 13 as of 2017).
On March 10, 2026, his 86th birthday, he posted a Kauai sparring video captioned "I don't age. I level up." After a medical emergency and hospitalization on Kauai beginning about March 18, he died on the morning of March 19, 2026, aged 86. The family announced the news on March 20 via his Instagram, asking to keep circumstances private and stating he was surrounded by family and at peace. A memorial service was later held on July 18, 2026, in Las Vegas in connection with the United Fighting Arts Federation conference he had long supported. Cause of death was not made public.
Biography adapted from English Wikipedia Chuck Norris; Associated Press March 2026; CNN 2026-03-20; BBC News 2026-03-20; The Guardian news 2026-03-20 and obituary 2026-03-22; Variety 2026-03-20; The Hollywood Reporter 2026-.
In their own words
“It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning. While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace.”
Family statement, March 20, 2026, Instagram
“To the world, he was a martial artist, actor, and a symbol of strength. To us, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, an incredible brother, and the heart of our family.”
Family statement, same post
“I don't age. I level up.”
Final Instagram birthday post, March 10, 2026
“The type of films I want to do is a good story, with good acting, with good direction, and with martial arts scenes inserted when it's emotionally right.”
David Letterman, c. 1980
“They wanted to put him on Mount Rushmore, but the granite wasn't tough enough for his beard.”
Favorite Chuck Norris fact; Time 2008 via CNN obituary
“He may have a warrior exterior, but his heart was so full of love.”
Danilee Norris, March 2026 Instagram tribute, quoted by BBC
Photos
5Chuck Norris, 1976
by People Forever
On the set of The Delta Force, 1986
by People Forever
Airman first class Chuck Norris
by People Forever
Chuck Norris in Iraq, 2006
by People Forever
What a beautiful memory to hold. He gave us that, didn't he.