The Tragic Death Of Famed Bodybuilder Dave Draper

Dave Draper has died. The bodybuilder was 79 years old and was a seriously iconic figure in the field, even being crowned Mr. New Jersey in 1962.

Dave's wife, Laree Draper, confirmed the sad news on Facebook where she told fans that he died on Tuesday, November 30. "Hi, friends, as the word's getting out, I wanted to let you know so there's no confusion," she wrote on the social media site. "Dave died early this morning. I was with him and it was calm and peaceful. It, as his doctor told me a little while ago, was a good death." His exact cause of death has not yet been publicly confirmed.

As well as being huge in the bodybuilding world, some fans may also recognize Dave from the big and small screen. The recognizable star appeared in the 1967 comedy movie "Don't Make Waves" as Harry Holland, as well as an episode of "The Beverly Hillbillies" that same year, where he played himself (via IMDb). He also popped up in an episode of "The Monkees" TV series as Bulk.

In the wake of the announcement of his death, tributes flooded in across social media, including a very touching post from one of his biggest fans and close friends, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Arnold Schwarzenegger led tributes to the late Dave Draper with a lengthy and touching post on Instagram on November 30. The actor shared a black and white photo of them together in a competition several years ago and shared details on the impact the star had on his life and career.

"Dave Draper was an inspiration to millions of people all over the world, including me. He was one of my idols," he began his post, revealing he would keep a photo of Dave on his wall for "motivation" while growing up in his native country, Austria. He shared his delight at getting to meet him a few years later, sweetly telling his followers that "his heart was as big as his pecs."

Schwarzenegger continued in part, "He couldn't have been more welcoming, and he was a fantastic training partner who always pushed everyone around him in the gym to be better. He was an amazing writer and a great family man." The star finished off his tribute by sharing his condolences for Dave's wife, Laree Draper, "and the whole family."

Other social media users also shared their tributes online, including one Twitter user who wrote, "Goddamn. My all-time favorite bodybuilder. I can't say how many times I've read this piece over the last 30+ years." They linked to a piece Dave wrote for Body Building in 2018, sharing that it "Literally changed my life. Dave 'The Blond Bomber' Draper was the absolute best."