Wrestlers, Fans Attend Benoit Family Funeral

The following is from the Associated Press

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Chris Benoit's professional wrestling colleagues were among the mourners Saturday at a memorial service for his wife and their 7-year-old son.

Benoit killed his wife, Nancy, and son, Daniel, in their home in the Atlanta area three weeks ago, placed Bibles next to their bodies and then hanged himself on the cable of a weight machine, authorities said.

Before the service began at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Jim Ross, the World Wrestling Entertainment announcer known as J.R., called the deaths "a real tragedy."

Nancy Benoit's parents, Paul and Maureen Toffoloni, live in Daytona Beach.

At the family's last-minute request, the service was not open to the media. Some wrestling fans were allowed in.

Anabolic steroids were found in the Benoits' home, leading officials to wonder if the drugs played a role in the killings. Results of toxicology tests on the three have not been released.

Ross said Saturday that drugs shouldn't be the focus.

"It's not a steroid issue," Ross said. "It's a domestic issue. There's a lot of other criteria that has to be involved in it. I still can't believe it even happened."

Benoit, born in Montreal, was a World Wrestling Entertainment star with a wholesome family man image. Nancy Benoit, however, filed for a divorce in 2003 alleging "cruel treatment." She dropped the complaint, as well as a request for a restraining order in which she alleged Benoit threatened her and broke furniture.

Nancy Benoit was a wrestling stage manager who worked under the name "Woman." The two met in the 1990s when she was married to rival wrestler Kevin Sullivan. She left Sullivan and married Benoit in 2000.

"I've known Nancy for 20 years. She was always exuberant and fun to be around," Ross said. "Always laughing, had a great sense of humor. You know, was one of the guys. Had great timing in the ring, was a beautiful lady."

Chris Benoit's father has said private services for him were to be held in Canada. It was unknown Saturday whether those services have taken place.

So, what wrestlers went, if anybody knows?

The family of the late Nancy Benoit announced that they have formed a foundation in the memory of Nancy and Daniel Benoit. The family is asking that in lieu of gifts or condolences, donations be made to the foundation. Donations can be sent to:

The Nancy and Daniel Benoit Foundation for Battered Women and Abused Children
c/o Decker, Hallman, Barber and Briggs
260 Peachtree St. Suite 1700
Atlanta, GA 30303

Credit: PWInsider

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Ernest and Jeanne Cates fondly recalled Nancy Benoit to be much like the "Woman" character she once portrayed in a professional wrestling storyline.

" 'Woman' was her in wrestling," said Ernest Cates, a former professional wrestler in the 1950s and '60s whose close relationship with Benoit dated back more than 20 years.

"She was determined, all together and designed her character to be very domineering. 'Woman' was her character and she was good at it. She was always vivacious and lovable."

The local couple was among the hundreds of close friends and family gathered at the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Saturday to bid farewell at a memorial service for Benoit, 43, and her 7-year-old son, Daniel.

Authorities allege that renowned WWE professional wrestler Chris Benoit, 40, killed his wife and his mentally disabled son late last month before committing suicide at their Fayette County home.

A separate memorial will soon be held for Benoit in Alberta, Canada.

All three bodies were cremated in Georgia. Family members left Saturday's service carrying two starfish-shaped urns with the remains of Nancy and Daniel.

The killings have touched a nerve in this close-knit oceanside community, where Nancy Benoit was well-liked. She attended nearby DeLand High and still counted many friends and family in the area.

"We know that all our lives must come to an end," Father Phillip Egitto said in his homily, "but when the life of one as young as Daniel and as Nancy comes to an abrupt and tragic end, we are left devastated and empty. We are left without words."

Allegations of possible steroid abuse have only further deepened the mystery. The performance-enhancing drugs were found in the Benoit home, leading officials to wonder whether they played a role in the killings. Toxicology results for the three might not be available until late September or early October, Georgia Bureau of Investigation officials said this week.

On July 2, Benoit's personal physician, Dr. Phil Astin III of Carrollton, was arrested and charged with seven counts of distributing excessive amounts of painkillers.

Federal Drug Enforcement Agency investigators searched a storage unit Astin had rented for more than 10 years, eventually seizing 68 boxes of documents, including patient records and billing statements, The Associated Press reported.

Astin remains on house arrest after being released on bond last week, but faces expanded federal charges relating to medications he prescribed to other patients.

All of that, however, likely mattered little to Nancy Benoit's parents, Paul and Maureen Toffoloni, who live in Daytona Beach, but have yet to speak to the media.

Fit Finlay was the only current WWE performer spotted at the 75-minute service. Several former wrestlers, including Marc Mero and Dean Malenko, also paid their respects.

Announcer Jim Ross was the only one mourner with a WWE tie to speak to the throng of media gathered outside the church. Ross bristled when asked what role if any steroids may have played in the Benoit tragedy.

"This is not a steroid issue," he said. "That horse has got to be put in the barn and unsaddled. It's not a steroid issue; it's a domestic issue. ... But more than anything, it's a tragedy because a mother and a little boy are dead, and that's the bottom line."

Chris Benoit, known throughout the wrestling world as "The Canadian Crippler," began his career in Calgary more than 20 years ago. He wrestled in Japan before heading back to Atlanta to work for Ted Turner's now-defunct WCW. It was while there in 1997 that he first met his wife.

Then married to former wrestler Kevin Sullivan, Nancy managed several wrestlers and went by the stage name "Woman."

Her then-husband drew up a script that featured her and Chris Benoit involved in a relationship as part of an ongoing storyline. Soon after, the two became romantically involved in real life and married in 2000.

Chris Benoit has two other children from a prior relationship. He joined WWE in 2000, winning its world heavyweight championship four years later.

The family moved into the Fayetteville neighborhood last summer with nothing appearing out of the ordinary, neighbors have said.

"I don't think we'll ever get the answers to this story," Ross predicted. "Unfortunately, those of us who loved these people are gonna live with this forever."

Credit: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

I was expecting more wrestlers to be there. Guess this is how private it gets.

Why weren't more there? I mean, I was at least expecting Chavo to be there...