Rudy Boesch 1928-2019
Rudolph Ernst "Rudy" Boesch (January 20, 1928 – November 1, 2019) was a United States Navy SEAL and a two-time competitor on the reality competition show Survivor.
Born and raised in Rochester, New York, Boesch dropped out of high school and enlisted in the United States Navy in April 1945 at age 17.He became a Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) Frogman in 1951, serving on two UDT Teams. He was chosen as one of the first SEALs, becoming Chief of the Boat of newly created SEAL Team TWO in 1962. Starting in 1968 and 1970, Boesch completed two combat deployments during the Vietnam War, where he earned the Bronze Star for heroic action. During that time and later, Boesch set physical and operational standards at SEAL Team TWO. In 1987, he became Senior Enlisted Advisor for United States Special Operations Command. Designated the "Bullfrog", the longest-serving SEAL still on active duty, Boesch achieved considerable renown within the force for his physical fitness training regimens and his military appearance. After 45 years of continuous service, he retired from the Navy in 1990 as a Master Chief Petty Officer.
Boesch appeared in the inaugural season of the U.S. version of Survivor in 2000, filmed on the remote Malaysian island of Pulau Tiga. The oldest competitor on the inaugural Survivor series at 72 years of age, Boesch finished in third place. The program was the top-rated show on American television during the summer of 2000, and with his gruff, cantankerous manner, and his politically incorrect "Rudyisms", he became one of the show's most popular contestants. Boesch set the age record again when he competed on Survivor: All-Stars at 75. He parlayed his fame into several other television appearances, including hosting the show Combat Missions in 2002.
His wife of 53 years, Marge, died on November 1, 2008, after a long illness. By 2015, Boesch was living in a retirement community in Virginia Beach and leading his fellow residents in exercise-based activities. As of August 2019, Boesch suffered from Alzheimer's disease, and required around-the-clock care.
Boesch passed away on the evening of November 1, 2019, exactly eleven years after his wife. He was 91.