Roderick “Rod” McMahon III, brother of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, died on Jan. 20. He was 77 years old. The news wasn’t announced until his obituary was posted on Legacy. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer also confirmed the news.
Rod McMahon was not involved in pro wrestling, unlike Vince, their father Vince Sr. and grandfather Jess McMahon. Rod enlisted in the Air Force before starting North American Metals Inc. in 1987 with his wife, Jamice. He was born in Long Island, New York on Oct. 12, 1943, and graduated from Havlock High School in North Carolina. From there, Rod graduated from Memphis State University before joining the Air Force.
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“Rod loved life, his other passions included his family, friends, shooting sports, all things dogs, and his enduring and fervent support of local law enforcement,” the obituary stated. “Rod never met a stranger and was first to lend a hand to ANYONE in need.” He met Jamice while stationed at Ramstein AFB Germany. The two were married in 1967, and their company was one of the “many passions in life.” The obituary goes on to say that Rod was “a leader, a mentor, a counselor, and most importantly a friend to all. Rod carried through his personal and business life an open-door policy to all that knocked on it. A kind and most generous soul; a character that one could only hope to emulate.”
Vince McMahon was Rod’s only sibling. Their father, Vincent K. McMahon, died at the age of 69 in 1984. Two years before he died, Vince McMahon bought WWE (then called WWF) from his father and still runs it today. In 2020, WWE was one of the few sports organizations to not suspended operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And after not having live fans for their shows since March, WWE is set to have a limited number of fans for WrestleMania 37 in April. The event will take place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Currently, WWE is filming their shows at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The company built a ThunderDome where fans can watch the action virtually. When the ThunderDome first debuted at the Amway Center in Orlando, Vince McMahon appeared to welcome everyone to the new experience.
