Mick Foley announces passing of his mother
One of pro wrestling’s all-time greats is mourning a tragic loss in their family.
Mick Foley announced today that his mother, Beverly Foley, has passed away following a battle with dementia. Foley noted that his mother was a private person — not wanting a funeral or an obituary — but he decided to write a tribute to her in hopes that it would help other families who have a loved one battling dementia know that they are not alone with what they are going through.
“It is with a heavy heart I report the passing of my mother, following a lengthy battle with dementia. She was a strong, fiercely independent woman who beat polio as a child, became the first member of her family to attend college, and instilled in me a belief that I was capable of doing anything,” Foley wrote. “She made me feel no dream was too big to dream, and nurtured my imagination and my love for reading, writing and storytelling. Simply put, without Mrs. Foley and the gift she gave me, no one would know Mrs. Foley’s baby boy. I love you Mom.”
In a long-form tribute posted to Facebook, Foley shared how his mother helped shape his life. With her being born in 1938 as the United States was nearing the end of the Great Depression, Foley credited his mother for the “legendary Foley thriftiness” that has served him well over the years.
Beverly Foley attended college and eventually received two master’s degrees — despite her own father not seeing the value in a woman striving for higher education. Her love of learning is one of the biggest things that she passed down to her children.
“She loved reading to me and my brother, sparked my imagination and nurtured my own love for reading and writing. Although I did not realize it until years later, when I sat down with my notebooks to write ‘Have a Nice Day,’ I was not doing it all on my own; my mother’s love was guiding me – all those years of encouragement allowing me to believe I had the necessary tools to write my very own book. Following the book’s release, my mother carried it with her everywhere – and that 570-page behemoth wasn’t light by any means,” Foley wrote. “I do believe her proudest moment as my mother was seeing my name on the cover of a book I had written. There’s no way I could have done it without her.”
While hoping that a cure for dementia will be found one day, Foley encouraged everyone to appreciate every moment with their families and always let them know how loved they are.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.