What Happened to Dick Button? Figure Skating Champion Passes Away

There’s been chatter about the passing of the legendary figure skater Dick Button, and many are curious to confirm if this news is accurate. Button was a renowned sportsman who amassed a multitude of awards during his tenure, including two consecutive Gold medals in Men’s singles at the Winter Olympics and five successive World Championships titles.

Here are all the details of Dick Button’s death.

Dick Button passes away at 95, claims report

On Thursday, January 30, Richard Button, a renowned figure skater and commentator, passed away at the age of 95 in North Salem, New York.

U.S. Figure Skating announced the passing of legendary skater Dick Button via a post on their platform (previously Twitter), stating, “U.S. Figure Skating grieves over the loss of Dick Button.” The post continues, “His innovative style and esteemed television commentary significantly impacted figure skating, leaving an indelible mark. His memory will continue to shine brightly. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his family and friends.

Dutton is survived by his children, Edward and Emily, and his partner, Dennis Grimaldi.

Born in Englewood, New Jersey, Button developed an early passion for skating. However, it wasn’t until he turned 12 that he fully committed to pursuing it seriously. As noted earlier, he clinched Olympic gold on two occasions, at the 1948 St. Moritz and 1952 Oslo Games. Additionally, he secured five World Championship titles – in Davos (1948), Paris (1949), London (1950), Milan (1951), and Paris (1952) again. He also managed seven consecutive US Championships victories and three straight North American Championships. Notably, he won the European Championship in Prague in 1948, an achievement that is not common for American figure skaters.

Following his competitive retirement, Button pursued a law degree from Harvard and embarked on a short-lived career in ice shows as a performer. He appeared in several films and television productions such as Hans Brinker, Silver Skates (1958) and The Young Doctors (1961). Additionally, Button provided commentary for various figure skating competitions.

Significantly, the announcement of Button’s death follows a tragic incident that occurred on Wednesday outside Washington, D.C., where a plane from American Airlines collided mid-air with a U.S. Army helicopter, resulting in the loss of 14 individuals linked to figure skating and other victims.

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2025-01-31 14:42