Obituaries
Air Force veteran and action star Chuck Norris is dead at 86
Stars and Stripes
March 20, 2026
Chuck Norris shakes hands with Gunnery Sgt. John C. Pollack during a meet-and-greet at Camp Taqaddum, Iraq, on Nov. 2, 2006. (Ben Eberle/U.S. Marine Corps)
Chuck Norris, a celebrated Air Force veteran, honorary Marine, martial artist and action star known for “Walker, Texas Ranger” has died at the age of 86.
Norris died Thursday morning in Kauai, Hawaii, his family said Friday morning on social media.
“While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” the post read.
“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. He lived his life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved. Through his work, discipline, and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives.”
The family said it was thankful to Norris’s fans, who to him “were not just fans, you were his friends.”
Norris enlisted in the Air Force in 1958 and worked in the air police, today called the Air Force security forces, according to a 2024 Air Force article. He started training in judo while deployed to Osan Air Base in South Korea. He was honorably discharged in 1962.
In 2007 Norris was made an honorary Marine. He was chosen to receive the honor because of his support for wounded Marines as well as Marines in theater. During a trip to Iraq the previous year, he was a “smash hit” with Marines downrange, the service’s secretary to the commandant told Stars and Stripes at the time.
Marines downrange got a kick out of Norris’ fictional powers, according to the Marine Corps official.
“Chuck Norris played Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun and won,” went one of many “Chuck Norris Facts” that circulated on the internet.
In 2008 Norris told Stripes that while the troops he spoke with in Iraq were committed to the mission, they needed to know when they would be leaving. “Deep in their heart, they’d like to know an end is in sight,” said Norris, who also said he shook hands with 37,000 U.S. troops in 2006.
Chuck Norris spends some time with troops during a USO trip to Iraq in 2008. The actor and former airman died at the age of 86 on Friday. (Courtesy of Chuck Norris)
As recently as last week, the star posted a video on Instagram in which he practiced martial arts with a sparring partner before saying to the camera, “I don’t age, I level up.”
“I’m 86 today! I’m grateful for another year, good health and the chance to keep doing what I love,” Norris wrote in the post, which also thanked his fans.
One of America’s most famous martial artists, Norris leveraged his black belt skills to build a successful television and film career. Although his action star status ultimately made Norris a household name, he told Sharyl Attkisson on a 2017 episode of the news magazine show “Full Measure” that he was a true martial artist “who dabbles in acting” rather than the other way around.
The world champion held black belts in karate, taekwondo, tang soo do, Brazilian jiu jitsu, judo and the martial arts discipline he founded himself, chun kuk do.
He acted in more than 30 action films and numerous television projects, but it was the 1972 film “The Way of the Dragon,” in which he starred alongside Bruce Lee, that put Norris on the map. Norris went on to star in action films including “Missing in Action” in 1984 and its sequels, “Firewalker” in 1986 and “Sidekicks” in 1992, as well as the 1986 film “The Delta Force,” the 1990 sequel “Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection,” and 1991’s “The Hitman.”
Perhaps his best-known project, the television series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” which he starred in and executive produced, was inspired by the 1983 American neo-western “Lone Wolf McQuade,” also starring Norris. The series ran from 1993 to 2001 and followed Cordell Walker, a Texas lawman who battles crime with a black belt and strong moral compass.
Los Angeles Times reporter Emily St. Martin contributed to this report.
Chuck Norris signs an autograph for a Marine admitted to the Task Force 399th Combat Support Hospital at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, on Sept. 15, 2007. The star visited the hospital during a USO tour. (Sheila Brooks/Department of Defense)